The leader of Armenia's Apostolic Church faces trial amid a feud with the government

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The head of the influential Armenian Apostolic Church appeared in court Friday for a trial on criminal charges as part of its latest confrontation with the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Catholicos Karekin II and six other senior clergymen are accused of defying a court order to reinstate a defrocked bishop. The case is widely seen as a part of long-simmering tensions between Pashinyan, who was reelected earlier this year, and the church, which has called for his ouster.

If convicted, Karekin and the other clerics could face up to two years in prison.

Relations between the powerful church and Pashinyan’s government have deteriorated rapidly since 2024, when tens of thousands of demonstrators, led by a high-ranking cleric, called for his ouster. They were angered by Armenia's agreement to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan and normalize relations with its neighbor after being locked for decades in territorial disputes.

Many clergy bitterly opposed the handover of the villages and criticized Pashinyan, who came to power in the South Caucasus nation amid a wave of hopeful, pro-democracy protests that swept Armenia in 2018. Some senior clerics have since faced a crackdown by the government.

The first court hearing took place Friday in the central city of Vagharshapat, also known as Etchmiadzin, which is Armenia's spiritual capital and the headquarters of the church.

Shortly after the hearing, Karekin's lawyer Ara Zograbyan told reporters the judge in the case has recused himself.

“I welcome this move by the judge, because in effect he refused to become a part of this shameful proceeding,”Zograbyan said, adding that the case will be assigned to a new judge.

Hundreds of Karekin's supporters gathered outside the courthouse in Vagharshapat, which is located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) west of Armenia's capital, Yerevan. Members of opposition parties, clergy leaders and representatives of nongovernmental organizations also came for the hearing.

Samvel Karapetyan, head of the pro-Russian opposition party Strong Armenia, called the case against Karekin a “national disgrace.”

“It seemed that maybe the authorities would come to their senses and stop their attacks on the church, but they're keeping at it,” local media quoted him as saying.

The charges arose after the church in January defrocked Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, who had previously called for Karekin's ouster. The church accused Saroyan of abuse of power. Saroyan contested the move in court, which sided with him and ordered his reinstatement.

The church refused, and Armenia's Prosecutor General's office launched the case against Karekin and the other clerics in February, accusing them of defying a court order and barring them from leaving the country.

Two other top clergymen were arrested last year. Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was convicted of calling for the overthrow of the government, and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who led the anti-government protests in 2024, is currently under house arrest awaiting trial on charges of attempting a coup, fomenting mass unrest and preparing a terrorist attack.

Earlier this year, an appellate court overturned Ajapahyan's conviction and ordered a new trial.

During an evening service at the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Karekin denounced the case against him.

“These days the authorities take steps to undermine the church's authority, restrict its autonomy and subjugate it to their will,” he said, adding that the institution's autonomy is at the core of Armenia's prosperity.

Archbishop Natan Hovhannisyan, head of the Department of External Relations and Protocol of the church and one of the defendants, said the church is not an entity that can be “nationalized, expropriated and have a manager appointed.”

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Karmanau reported from Tallinn, Estonia.

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicos Karekin II, center, arrives at the Armavir Court of First Instance in Vagharshapat, Armenia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicos Karekin II, center, arrives at the Armavir Court of First Instance in Vagharshapat, Armenia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicos Karekin II, right, leaves the Armavir Court of First Instance in Vagharshapat, Armenia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicos Karekin II, front, blesses people in Vagharshapat, Armenia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicos Karekin II, center, blesses people in Vagharshapat, Armenia, Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Anthony Pizzoferrato)

ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 7, 2026--

Coulson Aviation Canada, the Canadian division of Coulson Aviation, has acquired 10 former Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130H Hercules aircraft from the Government of Canada.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260807019094/en/

The acquisition doubles Coulson’s global C-130H fleet from 10 aircraft to 20 and gives its Canadian division the scale to build the world’s largest and most capable C-130 airtanker fleet.

The program will be led by Coulson Aviation Canada and its engineering, manufacturing, maintenance and operational teams in British Columbia.

“These aircraft served Canada for decades and we would like to recognize the men and women of the RCAF that operated these aircraft with exceptional professionalism throughout their service,” said Wayne Coulson, CEO of Coulson Aviation Canada.

For many years, the CC-130H served Canada in tactical airlift, search and rescue, Arctic operations, disaster response, humanitarian missions and international deployments.

Canada is experiencing longer and more complex wildfire seasons, with larger and more intense fires placing greater demands on firefighters and response agencies. That changing environment requires aircraft that can reach fires quickly, deliver large and controlled retardant lines, and sustain operations throughout increasingly demanding fire seasons.

The acquisition builds on Coulson’s existing C-130H program and its experience modifying, certifying, operating and supporting the aircraft as an airtanker.

Coulson’s operational C-130H airtankers are equipped with the company’s proprietary RADS-XXL retardant delivery system. Each aircraft can carry up to 4,000 U.S. gallons, or more than 15,000 litres, of water or fire retardant.

The RADS-XXL system gives flight crews precise control over the amount and coverage level of each drop. Its high flow rate, combined with the C-130’s payload, speed, range and ability to operate from shorter runways, makes the aircraft well suited to both rapid initial attack and sustained wildfire response.

“Firefighters on the ground need aircraft overhead that can get there quickly, carry a meaningful load and keep working,” said Coulson. “These aircraft will multiply the current initial attack capacity operating in Canada today.”

Coulson Aviation Canada supports the complete C-130 airtanker program, including engineering, certification, manufacturing, aircraft modification, maintenance, training and flight operations.

The acquisition is expected to expand skilled work in Canada across aircraft engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, flight operations and technical training.

The announcement was made at Cascade Aerospace in Abbotsford, where several of the former RCAF aircraft are currently located.

Coulson also brought Tanker 131, one of its operational C-130H airtankers, to Abbotsford to demonstrate what the Hercules can do in its next role. Tanker 131 will perform a demonstration drop during the Abbotsford International Airshow, showing the capabilities of Coulson’s 4,000-gallon RADS-XXL airtanker system.

About Coulson Aviation Canada

Coulson Aviation Canada is the Canadian division of Coulson Aviation, a family-owned global aviation company headquartered in Port Alberni, British Columbia.

Coulson is the world’s largest private aerial firefighting company, with more than 60 years of aviation experience and more than four decades of aerial firefighting experience.

The company operates a mixed fleet of more than 60 fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft supporting government agencies across North America, South America and Australia.

Coulson designs, manufactures, certifies, operates and supports its own aerial firefighting systems, including the RADS family of retardant delivery systems. This integrated approach allows the company to continually improve the safety, accuracy and effectiveness of its aircraft and firefighting technology.

Britton Coulson, left, and Wayne Coulson stand in front of one of 10 former Royal Canadian Air Force CC-130H Hercules aircraft recently acquired by Coulson Aviation from the Government of Canada. At right is a Coulson C-130H outfitted for aerial firefighting with the company’s proprietary RADS-XXL retardant delivery system, capable of carrying up to 4,000 U.S. gallons, or more than 15,000 litres, of water or fire retardant. The acquisition doubles Coulson’s global C-130H fleet to 20 aircraft, expanding its capacity to build the world’s largest C-130 airtanker fleet.