According to the report submitted by the RA Compulsory Enforcement Service, within the framework of a civil case, by a writ of execution issued on January 16, 2026, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Civil Cases of Armavir Region prohibited the religious organization “Holy Apostolic Church of Armenia” and other persons from carrying out any actions that may in any way obstruct His Grace Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, in his capacity as Primate of the Masyatsotn Diocese, from exercising the powers and performing the duties vested in the diocesan primate under the Article 68 of the Charter of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, as well as other applicable provisions, including also, the management of the financial resources of the Masyatsotn Diocese and the execution of financial transactions, until the adoption of a final judicial act within the case.

Thereafter, enforcement proceeding was instituted in the Compulsory Enforcement Service, in the framework of which a decision “On Compelling the Debtor to Perform Certain Actions or to Refrain from Performing Certain Actions” was adopted. On January 19, 2026, the decision was personally served on the Chancellery of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

Meanwhile, under such circumstances, by the decision of the Supreme Spiritual Council dated January 27, 2026, His Grace Bishop Gevorg Saroyan was declared defrocked by Patriarchal decree.

Considering that the report substantiates instances of an apparent crime, within the framework of the mentioned enforcement proceeding, involving relevant officials of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church who, by abusing their official powers and the influence arising therefrom, allegedly failed to comply with a judicial act that has entered into legal force and induced others not to comply with it, on January 29, 2026 a criminal proceeding was initiated in General Department for Investigation of Particularly Important Cases of the RA Investigative Committee according to the Part 2 of the Article 507 and the Part 2 of the Article 46-507 of RA Criminal Code, within which procedural and evidentiary actions are conducted.