In Armenia, Archbishop Mikayel Ajapakhyan was found guilty of calling for the overthrow of power

On September 24, a court in Yerevan found the head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Mikayel Ajapakhyan, guilty of public calls to overthrow the constitutional order. The cleric, who has been in custody for more than three months, denies the charges, calling them political persecution. The final punishment will be determined at a hearing on September 29.

According to the Armenian service of Radio Liberty, the charges are based on an interview a year ago, in which the Archbishop spoke about the need for a coup d’état. It is noteworthy that a year ago the General Prosecutor’s Office of Armenia did not find any corpus delicti in his words. However, the case was reopened and the investigation stated that Ajapakhyan repeatedly repeated his calls, which served as the basis for criminal prosecution under Article 422 of the Armenian Criminal Code, which provides for a fine or imprisonment for up to five years.

Archbishop Mikayel Ajapakhyan himself does not admit guilt and considers the case politically motivated. In his statement in court he said: «I am freer in prison, and I had so many opportunities to talk to God and myself, and I am happy and grateful for it. To be a defendant under this government, even for political reasons, is nothing but honor, joy and happiness. «

The defense points to numerous irregularities during the trial, including the search procedure. The defense lawyers also note that other defendants in similar cases are under house arrest, while the cleric is being held in custody. According to lawyer Ara Zohrabyan, the authorities intend to keep the archbishop in custody at least until the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2026.

This case is not an isolated one. Earlier, in June, another prominent figure of the Armenian Apostolic Church, leader of the «Holy Struggle» movement and critic of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, was arrested. He is also accused of attempting to seize power.

Recall, earlier we reported that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated the continuation of the campaign aimed at removing Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II from the throne. The head of the government stressed that the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church (AAC) should return to a «pro-state and state-oriented direction,» which, in his opinion, is impossible without the departure of the current Catholicos. Pashinyan called the initiative a «spiritual and apolitical agenda» but linked it to state security issues, accusing the Church of a centuries-old «imperial logic» that continues under the current Catholicos.