Government imposes travel ban on Catholicos ahead of Bishops’ Assembly

(Horizon Weekly) – The Pashinyan government has taken an unprecedented and deeply troubling step by initiating criminal proceedings against the Catholicos of All Armenians and restricting His Holiness’ ability to leave the country. The move, reportedly tied to allegations of obstructing a judicial act, coincides conspicuously with the upcoming Assembly of Bishops scheduled in Austria on February 16–19.

According to attorney Ara Zohrabyan, the travel ban effectively prevents the Catholicos from presiding over the Assembly—an act that raises serious concerns about political interference in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The timing is impossible to ignore. Only a day prior, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly declared that he would not allow the Catholicosate to be taken out of Armenia, claiming unspecified information about efforts to relocate it. The rapid sequence of events suggests coordination rather than coincidence.