Prosecutor seeks 2 years, 6 months prison term for convicted archbishop

A prosecutor has requested a Yerevan court to sentence Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan to two years and six months in prison, following his conviction for publicly calling for a violent coup.

Ajapahyan, who is the head of the Diocese of Shirak of the Armenian Apostolic Church, strongly denies the charges and maintains his innocence. The case stems from remarks he made during an interview, which authorities claim amounted to public calls for the violent overthrow of the government.

If the prosecutor’s motion is approved, the prison sentence will take into account the time Ajapahyan has already spent in detention. He has been in custody since June 28 of this year and was recently found guilty, with sentencing yet to be determined.

Public prosecutor Arman Baghdasaryan stated during the hearing that the defendant is accused of a medium-severity crime against the foundations of the constitutional order and state security — grounds for the proposed prison term.

The court will issue the sentencing on October 3.