Defrocked Priest Withdraws 15 Million Drams from Diocese Account Without Authorization, Lawyer Claims

Lawyer Ara Zohrapyan announced during a press conference that Supreme Judicial Council member, Judge Edgar Hovhannisyan, exhibited bias by fulfilling the requests of Arman Saroyan. Commenting on the actions of Arman Saroyan, who was dismissed from his position as the head of the Masyatsotsni Diocese by directive of Karekin II, the lawyer noted that the enforcement service has acted illegally and has served Saroyan's whims.

According to Zohrapyan, based on Saroyan’s letters, the enforcement officer is intimidating clergymen, particularly the head of the Masyatsotsni Diocese's interim leadership, Rev. Ruben Vardapet Zargaryan, threatening them with criminal liability.

Arman Saroyan challenged the Catholicos's decision to dismiss him in court. The court applied a protective measure on the claim, prohibiting the Armenian Apostolic Church and other persons from obstructing Saroyan’s exercise of authority, including the management of financial accounts.

The lawyer emphasized that Judge Edgar Hovhannisyan regarded this as a labor dispute. Ara Zohrapyan asserted that the court has created a difficult situation for the church, as the defrocked and non-clerical Saroyan is making transactions with bank accounts based on the court's decision and the enforcement officer’s interpretation.

Furthermore, the lawyer added that the enforcement officer has usurped the role of the Catholicos and authorized Saroyan to execute banking operations.

It was also noted that as of April 1, Arman Saroyan had already withdrawn more than 15 million drams from the accounts. Zohrapyan expressed concerns over the potential misuse of the funds and informed that the court denied their request to lift the protective measure on the claim.