Armenian archbishop charged with inciting overthrow of government

Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, has been formally charged in connection with a criminal case involving alleged calls to overthrow the government of Armenia.

According to Armenian media reports cited by Caliber.Az, Archbishop Ajapahian was detained following the launch of a criminal investigation under Part 2 of Article 422 of the Armenian Criminal Code, which relates to public calls for the violent overthrow of the constitutional order.

His lawyer, Ara Zohrabyan, informed journalists that the investigative team had completed initial proceedings and that the prosecution had petitioned the court to impose pre-trial detention on the archbishop.

“The investigator has filed a motion with the court to place Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian under pre-trial detention as a preventive measure,” Zohrabyan said, adding that the court must deliver a ruling within 24 hours of the cleric’s detention.

The arrest of such a high-ranking religious figure is likely to further strain relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration, especially amid ongoing political unrest and challenges to the government’s legitimacy from various domestic actors.

Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian, Primate of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), was detained by Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) following a dramatic standoff earlier in the day. The arrest was carried out after the Archbishop voluntarily appeared at the Investigative Committee building in Yerevan, escorted by NSS special forces. Police cordoned off the surrounding area amid heightened security.

The Archbishop had arrived from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, where security forces earlier attempted to detain him during a scheduled meeting of priests. According to his lawyer, Ara Zohrabyan, NSS officers informed Ajapahian that a detention order had been issued against him in connection with criminal charges of publicly calling for the overthrow of Armenia’s constitutional order. Although the officers allowed the meeting to continue without interference, they refused to postpone the detention. Ajapahian ultimately agreed to appear before the authorities voluntarily, accompanied by his legal team and fellow clergy.

Upon entering the Investigative Committee building, Ajapahian publicly criticised the government’s actions, calling them “lawlessness” and declaring: “I am not a threat to the state; the threat lies within the government. Those acting on behalf of a madman are inciting violence.”

This arrest follows the launch of criminal proceedings against Ajapahian earlier this month, including searches conducted at his residence in Gyumri. His detention also comes in the wake of a broader investigation announced on June 25 by the Investigative Committee, which claimed to have thwarted a plot to seize power through planned terrorist activity. The operation targeted members of the “Holy Struggle” group, including Bagrat Galstyan, a leader of the revanchist movement. Authorities have since ordered the pre-trial detention of Galstyan and several associates.

By Vugar Khalilov