April 1, 2026 - 17:54 AMT
Court lifts travel ban on Archbishop Najaryan

A court has decided to lift the preventive measure imposed on Mother See cleric Archbishop Haykazun Najaryan, repealing the travel ban, his lawyer Harut Aklunts said on Facebook.

“The court upheld my complaint against the actions of the investigator and prosecutor, recognized the violation of the rights of His Grace Archbishop Haykazun Najaryan, and obliged the investigator to remove the preventive measure of a travel ban imposed on him,” he wrote.

Earlier, the court had imposed travel restrictions on several clergymen, including Archbishop Haykazun Najaryan, Bishop Vahan Hovhannisyan, Bishop Mushegh Babayan, Bishop Hovnan Hakobyan, and Bishop Makar, preventing them from leaving the country.

The restrictions were applied ahead of a planned Bishops’ Assembly scheduled for February 16–19 in St. Pölten, Austria, convened at the invitation of Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II.

A similar restriction had previously also been imposed on Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisyan.