Armenian Catholicos Faces Criminal Charges, Travel Ban

Armenian prosecutors have opened a criminal case against the country’s highest religious figure, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II. In addition to the criminal charges, the Catholicos was also banned from travelling abroad, according to lawyer Ara Zohrabyan. The timing of the ban coincides with a major assembly of Armenian bishops scheduled to meet in Austria this week and prevented the Catholicos from attending. The charges are based on the Catholicos’ decision to defrock Bishop Saroyan, who previously publicly called…