Amsterdam calls trial of Armenian Church head moral catastrophe

Catholicos Garegin II of All Armenians and lawyer Robert Amsterdam. Photo: news.am

On August 6, 2026, American lawyer and founder of Amsterdam & Partners LLP Robert Amsterdam called the legal proceedings against the Catholicos Garegin II of All Armenians  a "moral catastrophe," reports Kizaket.am.

According to Amsterdam, the situation had gone beyond the bounds of the law. “What is happening has already gone beyond the legal framework and has become a moral catastrophe,” he said. The lawyer emphasized that the Armenian Catholicosate had for centuries served as a pillar of the Armenian people, helping preserve their identity during periods when they lacked their own statehood.

The lawyer described the trial of the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church as a blow to the constitutional order and the foundations of international law. He noted that the Constitution of Armenia and international treaties enshrine the separation of Church and state and guarantee the autonomy of religious institutions.

Amsterdam also stated that interference by the state judicial system in the internal affairs of the Church sets a dangerous precedent for the rule of law. “Justice cannot be used as an instrument of political retaliation,” the lawyer emphasized, adding that the international community and human rights advocates should not turn a blind eye to what is happening.

The criminal case was opened after Garegin II decided to defrock Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, who had supported the republic’s authorities in their conflict with the Armenian Apostolic Church. Along with the Catholicos, six other members of the Supreme Spiritual Council are also defendants in the case. The Armenian Apostolic Church considers the prosecution of its hierarchs unlawful.

Previously, the UOJ reported that the European Union was accused of ignoring the persecution of the Armenian Church.

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