Trial of archbishop begins in Armenia
(MENAFN) The trial of Armenian Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, the first of its kind in modern Armenian history, has commenced in Yerevan. The senior cleric faces charges of inciting a coup, which he claims are politically motivated.
The case reflects rising tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and opposition figures, including leaders of the Armenian Apostolic Church, who criticized Pashinyan’s decision to cede several border villages to Azerbaijan. During Friday’s first hearing, the judge denied a request to reduce Ajapahyan’s pre-trial detention, extending it by ten days. The archbishop has been in custody since his late-June arrest.
Prosecutors are basing charges on two interviews Ajapahyan gave in February 2024 and June 2025. The case follows a police raid on the Armenian Apostolic Church in Vagharshapat, which sparked clashes with clergy and church members. Another high-profile cleric, Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, was also arrested in late June on terrorism and coup-related charges.
The church has condemned the actions as an “illegal campaign” against its clergy, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the situation as Armenia’s internal matter, noting the concern of the Armenian diaspora in Russia.
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