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Akbar Novruz

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On September 24, a court in Yerevan found Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan, head of the Shirak diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, guilty of openly calling for the overthrow of the government, Azernews reports via Armenian media.

The charge carries either a fine or a prison sentence of up to five years.

An additional hearing will be held on September 29 to determine his sentence. Ajapakhyan has already been in custody for more than three months, with his pre-trial detention not altered.

The case is based on an interview given a year earlier, in which the archbishop discussed the importance of a coup. Initially, the Prosecutor General’s Office did not consider the statements criminal, but law enforcement later said he had repeated these ideas multiple times, prompting prosecution.

In court, Ajapakhyan rejected the charges, calling them political persecution: “I had many opportunities to talk to God and myself. I am happy and grateful for that. It is an honor, joy and happiness for me to be a defendant during this government, even if for political reasons,” he said.

His lawyers argued that the trial involved procedural violations and questioned the fairness of the verdict, noting that others charged under the same article were released under house arrest. “They will determine a sentence that will keep the cleric in prison until the elections,” lawyer Ara Zohrabyan claimed. Armenia’s next parliamentary elections are scheduled for June 2026.

This is the second case in recent months involving senior clerics. In June 2025, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the “Holy Struggle” movement and head of the Tavush diocese, was sentenced to two months in prison on charges of attempting to seize power. He is also a member of the Church’s Supreme Spiritual Council and a vocal critic of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.