News - An appeal has been filed against Mikayel Ajapahyan's judgment.

Defense lawyers for Mikayel Ajapakhyan, the head of the Shirak Diocese, have filed an appeal to the Appellate Court against Ajapakhyan's verdict. This was reported to 'Hetq' by Ajapakhyan's lawyer Ara Zohrabyan. The appeal against the verdict issued by the first-instance judge Armine Meliksetyan was filed with the Appellate Court today. The defense requested that the verdict be fully annulled and a new judicial act be issued recognizing and declaring Mikayel Ajapakhyan innocent. Recall that on October 3, Mikayel Ajapakhyan was sentenced to 2 years in prison. By court decision, he remains in custody until the judgment becomes legally binding. On September 24, Judge Armine Meliksetyan found Mikayel Ajapakhyan guilty under Article 422, Part 2 of the Criminal Code. The essence of the accusation is that he made public calls aimed at seizing power and violently overthrowing the constitutional order using mass media, information and communication technologies, first on February 3, 2024, and again during interviews given to media representatives on June 21, 2025. He has been in custody since June 28. According to the charged article, Ajapakhyan faced a fine ranging from twenty to fifty times the base amount, or public works lasting 150 to 270 hours, or restriction of freedom for one to three years, or short-term imprisonment for one to two months, or imprisonment for two to five years. However, Judge Armine Meliksetyan chose the most severe penalty. Note that the basis of the charges includes two statements that the prosecution characterized as calls to carry out a military coup. In the first, in an interview given to the Gala television channel, Ajapakhyan said there are three ways to change power: elections, a coup, and a popular uprising. 'Is there another... there is no other. All three are subjective impossibilities. Objectively they are possible,' Ajapakhyan noted, then added, 'so from my last six years of activity, isn’t it clear what I am saying: how many times should I openly say — a military coup is needed; during the days of war I said it, and I told the presidents — Kocharian and Serzh.' In the second interview, according to the indictment, Ajapakhyan reaffirmed his stance in response to a journalist's question, noting: 'I have done very well; I did not call for seizing power; I called for a coup; that is not a call to seize it. I told the security forces to save this country, save it from this madman.' Mikayel Ajapakhyan does not plead guilty. He and his defense team insist that political persecution is being carried out against Ajapakhyan as part of actions by the authorities aimed at harassing church leaders. According to the defense, Ajapakhyan's words were not a call. #Mikayel Ajapakhyan If you find a typo, you can send it to us by selecting the typo and pressing CTRL+Enter