The Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) has accused the Armenian authorities of exerting political pressure on its leadership and attempting to derail a major council of bishops scheduled to take place in Austria in February.

In a statement published on the official website of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of the AAC, church leaders said criminal cases and travel bans imposed on several senior clerics are aimed at preventing the convening of the Bishops’ Council.

According to the Church, members of the Supreme Spiritual Council were summoned on January 31 to Armenia’s Investigative Committee as criminal defendants in a case related to the alleged “failure to comply with a judicial act.” At the same time, six bishops and archbishops were banned from leaving the country. Church officials described these measures as state interference in internal church affairs and a violation of the constitutional principle guaranteeing the Church’s autonomy.

The dispute centers on Bishop Gevork Saroyan, the former head of the Masis Diocese. In January, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II relieved Saroyan of his post and subsequently defrocked him. Saroyan challenged the decision in court, which temporarily barred the Church from obstructing his activities. After he was stripped of his clerical rank, the Investigative Committee treated the actions of church leaders as a refusal to enforce a court ruling and opened a criminal case.

The AAC says the travel bans and criminal proceedings effectively prevent several hierarchs from attending the Bishops’ Council, scheduled for February 16–19 in the Austrian city of St. Pölten. The gathering is expected to be the first such council held outside Armenia in decades. Church representatives said the decision to hold the meeting abroad was driven by concerns about possible pressure on clergy within the country.

The situation has drawn international attention. Vienna-based human rights group Forum for Religious Freedom Europe (FOREF Europe) condemned the actions of the Armenian authorities, warning of potential violations of freedom of religion. The organization said restrictions imposed on clergy, along with steps to remove church chaplains from the armed forces, appear to be part of a broader campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Tensions between the AAC and the Armenian government intensified in 2025. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has publicly criticized the church leadership and called for “reforms” involving state participation, including changes to the procedure for electing the Catholicos. Church leaders in Etchmiadzin have sharply rejected these proposals, viewing them as an attempt to place the Church under state control.