Armenian Court Finds Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan Guilty of Calls to Seize Power
Photo: Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Photo by Valen1988, October 16, 2015. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 .
On September 24, a Yerevan court found Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, guilty of “public calls to seize power in Armenia,” Orda.kz reports, citing The Caucasian Knot.
Ajapahyan was detained on June 27 after voluntarily appearing at the Investigative Committee and charged under Part 2 of Article 422 of the Criminal Code. He faces two to five years in prison. His arrest sparked clashes between security forces and parishioners.
The archbishop denies the charges, calling the case political persecution of the clergy.
His defense argues the accusations are based on a year-old interview where he spoke of the need for a coup —remarks prosecutors previously dismissed. Authorities now claim he repeated similar statements in June 2025.
His sentence will be announced on September 29.
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