The investigation denied Garegin II permission to attend the funeral of Ilia II.

The Bishops' Assembly, which Karekin II was unable to attend, took place from February 17 to 19 in the Austrian city of St. Pölten. It was attended by 25 bishops of the Catholicosate of All Armenians – the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. They called on the Armenian authorities to stop the persecution of the Catholicos and other clergy.

The defense of Karekin II requested permission for a short-term exit from the country so that the Catholicos of All Armenians could attend the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia, reported lawyer Ara Zohrabyan.

"The Georgian Orthodox Church has invited Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II to attend the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, which will take place on March 22 of this year. It became necessary to grant the Catholicos of All Armenians permission for a short-term exit from the Republic of Armenia to Georgia. In this regard, I have submitted a corresponding petition to the investigator. Today I received the investigator's decision to deny the petition. I regret that this is yet another obviously illegal decision that will greatly damage the reputation our country," Aysor.Am quotes the lawyer as saying.

12:54 20.03.2026

Social media users debated the role of Patriarch Ilia II

The figure of Patriarch Ilia II is perceived as a symbol of faith and national unity in Georgia, according to social media users. Some users believe the patriarch's role is ambiguous, while others called for abstention from judgment and respect for his death.

National mourning has been declared in Georgia in connection with the death of Patriarch Ilia II on 17 March. Ilia II (January 4, 1933 - March 17, 2026) - Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, held this post for 49 years, Archbishop of Mtskheta and Tbilisi. In the worldly realm, Irakli Georgievich Gudushauri-Shiolashvili, according to the biographical note prepared by the "Caucasian Knot."

"This is a blow to the dignity of our state. "By depriving the Supreme Shepherd of all Armenians of the opportunity to attend the funeral of his spiritual brother, you are not humiliating His Holiness—you are making a mockery of Armenia," News.Am quoted Harutyun Agha-Sargsyan, Chairman of the All-Armenian Council for the Protection of the Armenian Church, as saying.

As a reminder, at the end of January, six clergymen of the Armenian Apostolic Church were charged with a criminal offense and banned from leaving the country. The Church accused the Armenian authorities of interfering in its internal affairs and violating human rights.

On January 4, the leader of the Civil Contract party, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced plans to "improve" the Armenian Apostolic Church, which include the removal of the Catholicos of All Armenians. Karekin II, the adoption of a new charter and the election of a new head of the church. After the Christmas service, Pashinyan accused the Catholicos and all Armenians of schism in the church and sectarianism. Persecution of the church undermines the authority of the state, stated Karekin II.

In May 2025, Nikol Pashinyan sharply criticized the church, and responded to Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan's objections with insults on Facebook*. Armenian politicians and church representatives demanded that Pashinyan apologize for insulting the church.

The conflict between the Armenian authorities and the Armenian Apostolic Church has been ongoing since 2018, when Pashinyan came to power. This conflict became obvious against the backdrop of the 2020 Karabakh war and the authorities' desire to improve relations with Turkey, analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" indicated.

More details on the persecution of political opponents of the current Armenian government can be found in the "Caucasian Knot" report "The Main Thing About Political Arrests in Armenia in the Summer of 2025".