Armenian Investigative Committee banned Catholicos Karekin II from traveling to Georgia to attend the funeral of Patriarch Ilia II

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has rejected the petition of the defense of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, prohibiting him from traveling to Tbilisi to participate in the farewell ceremony for Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II. The corresponding decision of the investigative bodies makes it impossible for the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church to visit the neighboring republic. This is reported by Sputnik Armenia.

According to information provided by Catholicos’ lawyer Ara Zohrabyan, Karekin II received an official invitation from the Georgian Orthodox Church. The protocol of events included participation in the funeral and divine liturgy, which is scheduled for March 22, 2026. In this regard, a petition for permission for short-term travel outside Armenia was sent to the Investigative Committee.

As the newspaper specifies, the defense’s petition was officially rejected today. Despite the significance of the event for inter-church relations, the Catholicos of All Armenians was not given the legal right to leave the country to fulfill the mission of farewell to the late head of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Earlier, on February 14, the Armenian Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal case against Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II on charges of obstructing the execution of a judicial act, which entailed a ban on his departure from the country.