This is an example of moral terror. The Armenian Apostolic Church of Moscow on the trial of Catholicos Karekin II.
07-08-2026 14:38 Armenia Politics
Sputnik. The topic has noted that state mechanisms are used against the clergy and dissent as a punitive tool.
The trial of His Holiness Karekin II and six bishops of the Supreme Spiritual Council is an unprecedented moral terror against the Armenian people by the Armenian authorities. This is stated in the statement of the Armenian Apostolic Church of the Diocese of Russia and New Nakhichevan.
On August 7, the first court session regarding the case against Karekin II and the six bishops will take place in Ejmiatsin. The Catholicos has decided to personally attend the session. The opposition parliamentary groups "Strong Armenia" and "Armenia," as well as several public figures, intend to hold a demonstration in front of the courthouse in support of the Catholicos.
"This day will go down in history as a page of shame and betrayal... This is a crime against identity, as the Armenian people are being judged in the person of the nation’s elected Catholicos and clergy, violating the Constitution and international laws on religious freedom. This is not a trial, but a revenge of the godless, which testifies to the openly anti-church and anti-state stance of authoritarian rulers," the statement reads.
The topic has noted that in conditions where state mechanisms are used as a punitive tool against the clergy and dissent, and authorities shape public opinion through labeling, defamation, and fear, every patriotic Christian is obliged to be on the front lines to fight against injustice and illegality to preserve identity, sanctuaries, and dignity.
Earlier, the Catholicos of Cilicia Aram I deemed the summons of the Catholicos to court unacceptable and condemnable. He called on the authorities of the Republic of Armenia to respect the church and Karekin II, and to discuss the existing issues in an atmosphere of mutual understanding. The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, for its part, has stated that this trial creates a dangerous precedent. The Catholicos is not only the head of the religious institution operating in Armenia but also the leader of the Armenian people worldwide. The statement emphasizes that the attitude of the Armenian authorities towards the person and status of the Catholicos will inevitably affect the situation of other episcopal sees of the Armenian Apostolic Church and their leaders.
* This text was automatically translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
