Catholicos of All Armenians Banned from Attending Funeral of Georgian Patriarch Ilia II

Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II was denied permission to travel to Georgia to attend the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II. The investigator rejected the defense's motion to lift the pretrial restriction banning him from traveling abroad.

As a reminder, the criminal prosecution against Karekin II for obstructing the execution of a judicial decision began on February 14. The case involves former Bishop Arman Saroyan of the Masiatsotn Diocese. Karekin II removed and defrocked Saroyan on January 10, but he is challenging the decision in court. The court currently prohibits any interference with Saroyan's duties as head of the diocese until a final verdict is rendered.

Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and several clergy proposed reforms in the Armenian Apostolic Church, including a leadership change. The Armenian government has also repeatedly spoken out about the church's top ties to Russia.

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