Armenian Church denounces prison sentence for Archbishop Ajapakhyan

The Armenian Apostolic Church has condemned the decision of the Yerevan General Jurisdiction Court, which sentenced Archbishop Mikayel Ajapakhyan, head of the Shirak Diocese, to two years in prison.

According to Armenian media, the church described the ruling as "unfair" and argued that the case against the archbishop was part of what it considers an anti-church campaign by the authorities. It also stated that the court had violated fundamental principles of justice, Caliber.Az reports.

On September 24, the court found Archbishop Ajapakhyan guilty of calling for the overthrow of the government. He was arrested in late June 2025 after prosecutors accused him of publicly inciting regime change.

The charges stemmed from earlier interviews in which he criticised Armenia’s leadership, claiming it was pursuing a destructive course for the country, and suggested that a political coup was necessary.

By Sabina Mammadli