Armenian Archbishop Gets Sentenced
(MENAFN) Armenian Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan has been convicted of provoking an attempted coup and given a prison term of two years, as the divide between the nation’s primary church and the government intensifies.
The religious leader has rejected the accusations against him, labeling them as driven by political motives.
In recent months, friction has increased between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the opposition, which receives backing from influential members of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC).
Opponents have accused Pashinyan of compromising Armenia’s national interests after he agreed to relinquish control of several border villages to Azerbaijan, a country with which Armenia has longstanding territorial conflicts.
Pashinyan, however, defended his decision—which sparked widespread demonstrations—stating that it was aimed at settling the prolonged dispute between the two former Soviet states.
On Friday, a court in Yerevan delivered the verdict against Ajapahyan, who has been detained since his arrest in late June.
The prosecution had pushed for a sentence of two and a half years, while the defense maintained his innocence throughout the trial.
The charges stem from allegations that Ajapahyan called for the removal of the current Armenian administration during two separate media interviews, one in February 2024 and another in June 2025.
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