The judge presiding over the case of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan will be replaced after a motion for recusal was granted.
During the first hearing at the Armavir Regional Court of First Instance, the defense submitted a motion to recuse Judge Gevorg Manukyan, which the court approved.
The basis for the recusal was information provided by Manukyan himself, stating that from 2008 to 2020 he worked in the Armavir regional investigative department in various positions, according to Sputnik Armenia.
“The criminal case under review was investigated in the same department, although I had no involvement in it. Additionally, proceedings have been initiated regarding official negligence related to the disappearance of drug evidence in this case, which is likely being investigated by the same department. From 2020 to 2024, I served as a prosecutor in the Armavir regional prosecutor’s office and had some professional interaction with the public prosecutor in this case, Arusyak Boyajyan,” Manukyan said.
Defense lawyer Yerem Sargsyan noted that the European Court’s approach requires that if there are objective circumstances that may raise doubts about impartiality, the court should not examine the case, according to Panorama.am .
“We do not want to initiate proceedings that may later be called into question. Based on these circumstances, we request the recusal of the judge,” Sargsyan stated.
The judge also confirmed during the hearing that a separate proceeding has been initiated over alleged official negligence related to the disappearance of drug evidence in the case.
Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan was detained on December 4, 2025, after leaving the Investigative Committee building. He was charged over allegations that in 2018 he instructed an unidentified person to plant marijuana in the bag of participants of the “New Armenia, New Patriarch” movement, allegedly to discredit them, constituting drug trafficking with intent to distribute. The evidence in question later disappeared from the investigative body. He was held in custody for three months, his detention was extended in February 2026, and he was released on March 5.
