Criminal prosecution initiated against the Catholicos of All Armenians: he will be unable to leave Armenia
The Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Armenia has initiated criminal prosecution against Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, on charges of obstructing the execution of a judicial act. The information was reported by attorney Ara Zohrabyan.
According to the attorney, a ban on leaving Armenia has also been imposed on the Catholicos. In his assessment, this decision is an attempt to disrupt the Assembly of Bishops scheduled to take place in Austria.
RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated the previous day that certain circles aim to move the Catholicosate out of Armenia, and the authorities will not allow that to happen.
The Assembly of Bishops, invited by the Catholicos, is scheduled for February 16-19 in St. Pölten, Austria. Earlier, on January 29, the Investigative Committee of Armenia reported that it had initiated criminal proceedings against the Armenian Apostolic Church in the case of the former primate of the Diocese of Masyatsotn, the defrocked Bishop Gevorg Saroyan (Arman Saroyan), on the grounds of non-compliance with a judicial act.
Within the framework of the case on January 31, six high-ranking clergymen were summoned for interrogation, and a ban on absence (travel restriction) was selected as a preventive measure against them.
