Garegin II declines to testify

Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II has declined to give testimony in a criminal case, Armenian media reported.

According to the reports, he exercised his legal right not to testify during a meeting with an investigator.

Earlier, Armenia’s Investigative Committee said a criminal case had been opened after Garegin II decided to defrock Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, who had supported Armenian authorities in a dispute involving the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Lawyer Ara Zograbyan said prosecutors had imposed a travel ban on the Catholicos. The Armenian Church described the case as “illegal and politically motivated.”

Previously, the heads of three dioceses — Archbishops Bagrat Galstanyan and Mikael Ajapahyan, Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, as well as the head of the Echmiadzin chancery, Arshak Khachatryan — were arrested on various charges.