Armenia's opposition Strong Armenia faction left a parliamentary session on 8 August and traveled to Vagharshapat to show support for Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II as he appeared before a criminal court in a case against the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The move came during parliamentary debates on the election of a deputy speaker from the opposition. Speaking before leaving the chamber, Strong Armenia faction secretary Tigran Abrahamyan said several members of the faction were already in Vagharshapat attending the court proceedings.

Abrahamyan described the trial as a "shameful situation" and argued that it was directed not only against the Catholicos but also against the historical legacy of the Armenian people and the Armenian Apostolic Church. He stated that if someone had suggested such a scenario a few years ago, it would have seemed unimaginable.

The hearing marked the first time in Armenia's modern history that a Catholicos of All Armenians appeared as a defendant in criminal proceedings. However, the case did not advance substantively after the presiding judge recused himself and the matter was reassigned to another judge.

Karekin II and six members of the Supreme Spiritual Council are accused of failing to comply with a court order requiring the temporary reinstatement of former Masyatsotn Diocese Primate Bishop Gevorg Saroyan while his civil lawsuit against the Church remains pending. Church representatives reject the charges, arguing that the appointment and dismissal of bishops are governed by canon law rather than state courts.

The case has become a major point of contention in Armenia's domestic political landscape. Opposition parties have increasingly described the proceedings as part of a broader escalating confrontation between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, while authorities maintain that the case concerns enforcement of a judicial decision and is unrelated to religious affairs.

The trial has also drawn reactions from a number of church institutions and international organizations. On the same day, the World Council of Churches expressed concern over developments surrounding the Armenian Apostolic Church, while the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia, the Armenian General Benevolent Union and other religious bodies have similarly criticized the prosecution in recent days. Religious freedom watchdog Forum 18 has also argued that the case constitutes state interference in the Church's internal affairs, with some United Nations human rights experts challenging Armenia's use of criminal and terrorism-related charges against senior clergy and their supporters.