diff --git a/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/fixture.ts b/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/fixture.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c323632adfe1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/fixture.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+try {
+}
+catch (e = 1) {
+}
diff --git a/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/snapshots/1-TSESTree-Error.shot b/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/snapshots/1-TSESTree-Error.shot
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..15afb67aa0f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/snapshots/1-TSESTree-Error.shot
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
+
+exports[`AST Fixtures special CatchClause _error_ with-initializer TSESTree - Error 1`] = `
+"TSError
+  1 | try {
+  2 | }
+> 3 | catch (e = 1) {
+    |            ^ Catch clause variable cannot have an initializer.
+  4 | }
+  5 |"
+`;
diff --git a/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/snapshots/2-Babel-Error.shot b/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/snapshots/2-Babel-Error.shot
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ded5064c6bac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/snapshots/2-Babel-Error.shot
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+// Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
+
+exports[`AST Fixtures special CatchClause _error_ with-initializer Babel - Error 1`] = `[SyntaxError: Unexpected token, expected ")" (3:9)]`;
diff --git a/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/snapshots/3-Alignment-Error.shot b/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/snapshots/3-Alignment-Error.shot
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9562d8ee3c45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ast-spec/src/special/CatchClause/fixtures/_error_/with-initializer/snapshots/3-Alignment-Error.shot
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+// Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
+
+exports[`AST Fixtures special CatchClause _error_ with-initializer Error Alignment 1`] = `"Both errored"`;
diff --git a/packages/typescript-estree/src/convert.ts b/packages/typescript-estree/src/convert.ts
index 5dcde889e8dd..4fea4cd7c8a5 100644
--- a/packages/typescript-estree/src/convert.ts
+++ b/packages/typescript-estree/src/convert.ts
@@ -886,6 +886,12 @@ export class Converter {
         });
 
       case SyntaxKind.CatchClause:
+        if (node.variableDeclaration?.initializer) {
+          this.#throwError(
+            node.variableDeclaration.initializer,
+            'Catch clause variable cannot have an initializer.',
+          );
+        }
         return this.createNode<TSESTree.CatchClause>(node, {
           type: AST_NODE_TYPES.CatchClause,
           param: node.variableDeclaration