A group of lay members of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Apostolic Church have been questioned by investigators as witnesses.

According to Armenpress, Gevorg Danielyan, Shahen Karamanukyan, Vahan Ter-Ghevondyan, and Mikael Malkhasyan were questioned at the Investigative Committee.

They were questioned as part of a criminal investigation into the alleged failure by a group of clergymen to comply with a court ruling.

The meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council scheduled for March 12 did not take place.

Earlier, council member Gevorg Danielyan said: “Their goal was to disrupt the meeting of the Supreme Spiritual Council, and they succeeded — all lay members were summoned to the Investigative Committee and the meeting did not take place.”

Previously, the Investigative Committee reported that criminal prosecution had been launched against seven clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the same case.

Criminal proceedings are being carried out against Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Bishop Makar Hakobyan, Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Archbishop Haykazun Najaryan, Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan, and Priest Movses Sahakyan.

It later became known that within the same criminal case, proceedings were also initiated against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. All of them have been placed under a travel restriction as a preventive measure.