Court lifts travel ban on Catholicos Karekin II

Panarmenian

A court has ruled to cancel the restrictive measure imposed on Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, upholding the defense’s complaint.

This was announced on Facebook by lawyer Ara Zohrabyan, who noted that the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction of First Instance had granted the appeal filed by the defense, ruling that the preventive measure applied to the Catholicos must be revoked.

“As you know, the Investigative Committee of Armenia (investigator Ara Avagyan) had issued a decision applying a ban on leaving the country as a preventive measure against the Catholicos of All Armenians.

Due to that restriction, as well as the investigator’s refusal to grant permission for a temporary trip to Georgia, the Catholicos of All Armenians was unable to attend the funeral service of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II.

The investigator’s decision was appealed to a superior prosecutor. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Armenia (prosecutor Khachatur Galstyan) decided to reject the complaint. Following the prosecutor’s refusal, an appeal was submitted to the court.

Today, on April 10, 2026, the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction of First Instance (Judge Ani Danielyan) ruled to grant the defense’s complaint. Based on the court’s decision, the preventive measure applied to the Catholicos of All Armenians is subject to removal,” he wrote.

On February 14, the Investigative Committee had decided to impose a ban on leaving the country as a preventive measure against the Catholicos of All Armenians.