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.
Latest news
- Ecology Ministry Explains 13 Million Tenge Fine For Picking Dandelions
- Kazakhstan Refineries Increase Oil Processing Depth To 90%
- High Rates No Longer Keep Kazakh Banks’ Profits Rising, Analysts Say
- Almaty Health Officials Prepare for Possible Hantavirus Cases
- Ministry Says Saiga Deaths Remain Within Natural Limits
- Kazakhstan Faces Shortage of Doctors and IT Specialists
- Kazakhstan Petition Calls for VAT Removal on Feminine Hygiene Products
- Kazakhstan to Publish Register of Convicted Economic Crime Offenders
- Kazakhstan’s Economy Grew 3.6% in Four Months
- Shymkent Colleges Used Fictitious Students to Steal Over 1.3 Billion Tenge
- Almaty Court Extends Chechen Activist’s Extradition Arrest
- Record Rainfall Hits Almaty
- Falling Caspian Sea Level Reshapes Northern Coastline
- Kazakhstan Says It Is Ready To Help Resolve Iran’s Nuclear Issue
- Pashinyan Explains Why He Will Skip The EAEU Summit In Astana
- Kazakhstan To Gradually Cut University Programs In Oversupplied Fields
- Kazakhstan Offers Indonesia A Route To Central Asia And Europe
- Kazakhstan Tightens Rules for Master Plans and Urban Development
- Kazakhstan Approves Rules for Digital Tenge Circulation
- Military Jets to Conduct Training Flights Over Astana
