Ban on leaving the country imposed as preventive measure against group of clergymen
A ban on leaving the country has been selected as a preventive measure against Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan, Director of Clerical and Youth Training Programs; Archbishop Haigazoun Najarian, member of the Mother See brotherhood; Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Director of the Administrative and Economic Department of the Mother See; Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan, Director of the External Relations and Protocol Department of the Mother See; and Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Primate of the Diocese of Gougark. Attorney Armine Farmanyan, who was present during the interrogation of the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark and Bishop Makar Hakobyan, Primate of the Diocese of Syunik, announced this near the Investigative Committee of the RA.
The attorney clarified that the preventive measure was appointed within the framework of the case involving the former Primate of the Diocese of Masyatsotn, the laicized (defrocked) Bishop Gevorg Saroyan (Arman Saroyan), under Article 507, Part 2—on grounds of non-compliance with or obstruction of the execution of a judicial act. Due to this preventive measure, the bishops cannot cross the border of Armenia, which may hinder their participation in the Assembly of Bishops scheduled for February 16–19 in Austria.
Regarding the preventive measure against Bishop Makar, Fanyan noted that a total gag order has been imposed, adding that this is also illegal, as a preventive measure cannot be considered a secret of the preliminary investigation.
In a conversation with journalists, Bishop Makar himself stated that the decision to defrock a bishop, specifically the former Primate of the Diocese of Masyatsotn (the reason they were summoned to the IC as defendants), is not made unilaterally. The Bishop noted that the Supreme Spiritual Council made a recommendation for defrocking, and the assembly made that decision because there was a breach of vows.
Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, Primate of the Diocese of Gougark, also emphasized that he could not say anything regarding the case.
To recap, the Assembly of Bishops is scheduled to take place on February 16–19 in Sankt Pölten, Austria, at the invitation of Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians. On January 29, the IC announced that it had initiated criminal proceedings involving the Armenian Apostolic Church in the case of the former Primate of the Diocese of Masyatsotn, the defrocked Bishop Gevorg Saroyan (Arman Saroyan), regarding non-compliance with a judicial act. Under such bans, high-ranking clergymen will not be able to leave the country.