Prosecutors have approved the indictment against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and six bishops of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and forwarded the criminal case to court. The information was confirmed by Armenia's Prosecutor General's Office, according to Radar Armenia.

The defendants are Bishop Makar Hakobyan, Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Archbishop Natan Hovhannisyan, Archbishop Haykazun Najaryan, Bishop Mushegh Babayan, and Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan. They have been placed under a preventive measure prohibiting them from leaving their place of residence.

The criminal case was initiated over allegations of obstructing the enforcement of a court ruling related to former Primate of the Masis Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Gevorg Saroyan. Karekin II has also been barred from leaving the territory of Armenia in connection with the same case.

The defense team said it intends to use every legal means available to contest the charges. Lawyer Armine Fanyan made the statement, according to Sputnik Armenia.

"We will provide a defense using every avenue permitted by law. This is an obviously unlawful accusation. The state is using its entire institutional apparatus to interfere in the Church's internal affairs, despite having no such authority under either legislation or the Constitution. We rely on the court to issue a lawful ruling so that this injustice is ultimately resolved in favor of those who are being wrongfully prosecuted. No previous government has interfered in this way, especially by launching unlawful criminal proceedings. This is an unprecedented and highly condemnable phenomenon," Fanyan said.

She stressed that if the defendants are acquitted, the Criminal Procedure Code provides for a rehabilitation mechanism, and the defense has already taken steps aimed at establishing the legal grounds for acquittal. She also noted that all key decisions have been appealed, with a significant number already producing favorable outcomes.

According to Fanyan, those favorable outcomes will support the clergy's acquittal during the trial, while the rehabilitation mechanism will make it possible to restore their rights.

The lawyer also recalled that the statutory time limits for criminal prosecution have already expired and said this is another basis for acquitting the bishops. In her view, the prosecution against them should therefore be terminated.

On February 14, it became known that criminal proceedings had been initiated against the Catholicos on charges of obstructing the enforcement of a court ruling related to former head of the Masis Diocese, defrocked Arman Saroyan. The Catholicos of All Armenians was also prohibited from leaving Armenia.