Criminal case opened against Catholicos as church-state standoff deepens

By Lia Avagyan

Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office has initiated criminal proceedings against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II and barred him from leaving the country, according to his lawyer, days before a bishops’ assembly scheduled to take place in Austria.

Lawyer Ara Zohrabyan said on Saturday that prosecutors launched a case accusing the Catholicos of obstructing the enforcement of a court ruling related to Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, formerly head of the Masis (Massyatsotn) diocese. He said a travel ban had been imposed on the Catholicos, which he described as an attempt to derail the Feb. 16–19 assembly.

The Prosecutor’s Office declined to provide details.

The case stems from the dismissal of Bishop Saroyan. On Jan. 10, Catholicos Karekin II removed Saroyan from his post as diocesan head, citing abuse of authority, neglect of duties, and alleged pressure on clergy, according to a statement from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Saroyan, who is among a group of bishops calling for the Catholicos’ resignation and who has met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, challenged the decision in court and secured a ruling ordering his temporary reinstatement.

Investigators allege that members of the Church’s Supreme Spiritual Council obstructed the implementation of that ruling. On Jan. 31, several senior clerics were summoned as defendants and barred from leaving the country, effectively preventing them from attending the Austria assembly.

Legal experts have questioned the speed of the proceedings, noting that while many court decisions in Armenia go unenforced for years, the Saroyan-related ruling was executed with unusual haste. Lawyer Ara Ghazaryan described the pace as unprecedented and linked it to pressure from the executive branch.

The Vienna-based Forum for Religious Freedom Europe (FOREF Europe) said earlier this month that the steps against senior clergy amount to “systematic interference” in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church and threaten constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

The developments unfold amid a widening confrontation between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Church. Over the past year, Pashinyan has publicly questioned the legitimacy of Catholicos Karekin II and called for his resignation, while insisting that legal actions target alleged criminal conduct rather than the institution itself.

Critics argue that the scope and timing of the measures — including travel bans imposed days before a planned bishops’ assembly abroad — create the appearance of political intervention in church governance. Government officials say court rulings must be enforced regardless of status.

The criminal case against the Catholicos follows earlier prosecutions of senior clergy. At least eleven clerics are currently either jailed, detained, or facing criminal prosecution. Bishop Mikayel Ajapahyan of the Shirak Diocese has been sentenced to two years in prison, while Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan remains in pretrial detention in Yerevan. Authorities have also arrested Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, along with other senior clergy, and opened criminal proceedings against six bishops and one priest who have been summoned as defendants and placed under travel bans.

UPDATE

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin condemned the criminal proceedings against Catholicos Karekin II and the decision to bar him from leaving Armenia, calling the measures “groundless and illegal” and politically motivated. In a statement, the Church accused authorities of unconstitutional interference in its internal affairs and said the actions hinder the Catholicos’ pastoral duties while showing disrespect toward millions of believers and the historic role of the Church. Etchmiadzin urged prosecutors to immediately review the decisions targeting the Catholicos, six bishops who are members of the Supreme Spiritual Council, and its secretary, warning the steps risk deepening societal divisions and damaging the country’s reputation.

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