In Armenia, the defense of the convicted AAC hierarch filed an appeal

The defense of the head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Mikael Ajapakhyan appealed against the verdict of the court of first instance, according to which the minister was sentenced to two years in prison. The lawyers insist on the complete innocence of the hierarch and demand the annulment of the guilty verdict.

As reported by the publication Blagovest-info, the appeal against the verdict of October 3, 2025 was filed on November 13. The statement of the defense demands to «completely cancel the verdict and issue a new judicial act on the recognition and declaration of innocence of His Eminence Mikael (Gevorg) Artashesovich Ajapakhyan».

Earlier, the Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan, presided over by Judge Armine Meliksetyan, found the AAC hierarch guilty of public calls to overthrow the authorities in Armenia. The prosecution was based on a criminal case initiated by the Prosecutor General’s Office on June 26. The minister was detained on June 27 and was taken into custody the next day. Throughout the trial Mikael Ajapakhyan did not admit his guilt.

Recall, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a high-profile statement, declaring Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II deprived of his dignity and accusing him of violating his vow of celibacy and seizing the patriarchal throne. This statement, made in Parliament, testifies to the unprecedented aggravation of relations between the state authorities and the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), which has lasted for several months and is accompanied by criminal cases against a number of high-ranking clergymen.