The criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and six bishops and archbishops, who are members of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church, has been assigned to Judge Vahagn Melikyan of the Yerevan criminal court of first instance of general jurisdiction, reports Datalex, the judicial information system of Armenia.

This criminal case was received by the Yerevan criminal court in the order of jurisdiction on Tuesday and assigned to Judge Vahagn Melikyan on the same day. He is already the third judge to whom this case has been assigned.

The case was first assigned to Judge Hakob Manukyan of the court of first instance of general jurisdiction of Armavir Province. Manukyan, however, on August 7, had recused himself from this case noting that the defendants’ defense attorney Ara Zohrabyan had previously checked his oral examination, as a result of which he had been issued a license to practice law.

The case was then assigned to Judge Serzh Rushanyan of the aforesaid Armavir provincial court. But on August 28, this judge had decided to transfer the case to the Yerevan criminal court in accordance with territorial jurisdiction, noting that the factual description of the charge against Karekin II does not indicate the place of commission of the alleged act, and the seat of the body that conducted the pretrial proceedings is located in Yerevan.

The Catholicos of All Armenians is charged with using his official powers to obstruct the execution of a judicial act that has entered into legal force by. The same charge has also been brought against Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Archbishop Haigazun Najarian, Bishop Moushegh Babayan, Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Bishop Makar Hakobyan, and Bishop Vahan Hovhanessian.

The case is related to the judicial process regarding the tenure of the now defrocked primate of the Diocese of Masis of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan—now Arman Saroyan. On January 10, Saroyan was dismissed from the aforesaid position by order of Karekin II. Saroyan had challenged the decision in court, and the latter applied a measure of security of the claim to ensure his tenure until the final judicial act in the case. According to the prosecution, the execution of that judicial act was subsequently hindered.

In February, a travel ban was imposed on Catholicos Karekin II as a pretrial measure, preventing him from leaving Armenia.