Armenian Court Lifts Travel Ban on Catholicos Karekin II as Government-Church Clash Continues

An Armenian court has lifted a travel ban that had been placed on Karekin II earlier this year, in a case that shows the deepening tensions between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The restrictions were introduced about two months ago by law-enforcement authorities and applied not only to the Catholicos but also to six bishops. The move came after charges were filed in connection with Karekin II’s decision in January to defrock a bishop who had become involved in a politically charged campaign linked to the prime minister.

Because of the ban, the Catholicos and the bishops were unable to travel abroad for important religious events. This included an emergency gathering of Armenian Church leaders in Austria in late February. Karekin II also missed the funeral of Georgia’s longtime spiritual leader, Ilia II, due to the restrictions.

The Catholicos’s legal team challenged both the charges and the travel ban, arguing that state authorities do not have the right to interfere in internal church matters, especially those involving clergy discipline. Several legal experts supported this position. The lawyers appealed to the courts, asking for the ban to be overturned.

Late last week, a lower court ruled in favor of the Catholicos and declared the travel ban invalid. However, Armenia’s Prosecutor-General’s Office has said it will appeal the decision, meaning the legal battle is not over.

This case is part of a wider and increasingly tense standoff between the Armenian government and the Church. Prime Minister Pashinyan first publicly called for Karekin II to step down last summer. His remarks followed statements made by the Catholicos at an international conference in Switzerland, where he accused Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and of occupying Armenian territory.

In the months since, several senior clergy members have been arrested on separate charges, which they have all denied. Some have been placed under house arrest.

At the same time, the prime minister has made a series of accusations against church leaders. Last year, he claimed some clergy had violated vows of celibacy. More recently, he suggested they were acting in the interests of a foreign power—widely understood to mean Russia. No public evidence has been presented to support these claims.

The political dimension of the conflict has grown even stronger ahead of upcoming elections. Earlier this month, the ruling Civil Contract party included a pledge in its campaign platform to remove Karekin II from his position.

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin strongly pushed back, calling the move unlawful and beyond the authority of political institutions. In a statement, the Church emphasized that decisions about its leadership belong strictly within its own spiritual and canonical framework.

Opposition figures and critics have also voiced concern, saying the government’s actions may violate Armenia’s constitutional principle of separating church and state. International organizations have raised alarms as well. The Vienna-based Forum for Religious Freedom Europe warned earlier this year about potential risks to religious freedom in Armenia.

While the court’s decision to lift the travel ban is a major development, the broader conflict remains unresolved. With an appeal now pending and tensions continuing to rise, the standoff between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church is far from over.