Armenian Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan Arrested on Charges of Calling for Overthrow of Government
Photo: NewsArmenia
Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, has been arrested in Yerevan on charges of inciting the overthrow of the government, Orda.kz reports, citing The Insider.
A Yerevan court has ordered two months of pre-trial detention. His lawyer, Ara Zohrabyan, stated that there is no criminal basis for the charges and that the decision will be appealed.
Security forces attempted to detain Ajapahyan on June 27 in Etchmiadzin. Clergy blocked the arrest.
The archbishop later emerged and voluntarily approached the police.
Earlier, the Investigative Committee of Armenia accused supporters of the "Tavush for the Homeland" ("Holy Struggle") movement — led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan — of allegedly plotting terrorist acts and an attempted power grab.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claimed authorities had foiled what he described as “a large-scale destabilization plan” orchestrated by “a criminal-oligarchic clergy.”
The Armenian Apostolic Church has also become increasingly critical of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government in recent months.
Latest news
- Rare Wild Horses Arrive In Kazakhstan From The Czech Republic
- Offshore Or Crypto Hub? Alatau City Awaits Its Own Financial Rules
- Kazakhstani Jailed In China After Fight With Locals
- Nearly 21 Billion Tenge Paid To Foreigners And The Dead: Labor Ministry Responds
- Pistols, Carbines And Rifles: Kazakhstan Updates Rules For Oil And Railway Guards
- Emergency Ministry Defends Costly Cybertruck Purchase
- AI To Check How Kazakhstan’s State Agencies Work
- £195,000 In 13 Days: How Kazakhstan Ended Up In Prince Andrew’s Costliest Tour
- Labor Ministry Explains Why Kazakhstan Still Has No Harassment Law
- Defense Ministry Explains Drone Crash In Zhambyl Region
- Kazakhstan Refuses To Ease Access To Hazardous Work Payments
- Almaty Metro To Replace Korean-Controlled System After Technical Failures
- Fewer Kazakhstanis Work Outside Their Home Regions
- Safety Violations Cited As Possible Cause Of Kazzinc Plant Explosion
- Tenge Weakens Five Percent In May As National Bank Reports No Interventions
- New Direct Flights From Kazakhstan To Warsaw, Izmir, And Larnaca
- Kazakhstan Clarifies Position On Possible Iranian Uranium Storage
- EU Politicians Eye Kazakhstan And Uzbekistan As Possible Sites For Migrant Return Centers
- Kazakhstanis Are Leaving The Regions For Megacities
- Kazakhstan Could Store Iranian Uranium If US-Iran Nuclear Deal Is Reached
