Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison

One of the most high-profile court cases in Armenia's recent history has reached its conclusion. On October 3, the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction, presided over by Judge Armine Meliksetyan, announced the verdict, sentencing Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, the primate of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, to 2 years in prison.

According to the court's decision, the final part of which was announced during the court session, the beginning of Ajapahyan's sentence will be calculated from the moment of his actual detention. This means that the time he has already spent in custody will be included in the sentence term.

It should be recalled that a criminal prosecution was initiated against the high-ranking clergyman under the features of the crime provided for in Article 422, Part 2 of the RA Criminal Code. He was charged with making public calls to seize power, violate territorial integrity, renounce sovereignty, or violently overthrow the constitutional order. Based on this serious charge, he was arrested on June 28 of this year and has been in custody since then.

During the trial, public prosecutor Arman Baghdasaryan had petitioned the court to sentence Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan to a longer term of 2 years and 6 months in prison. However, the court, having assessed all the circumstances of the case, passed a sentence of 2 years' imprisonment.

In his turn, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan has consistently denied the charges against him throughout the trial, not admitting his guilt.