Lawyer: we consider the decision of the Criminal Appeals Court to be bold.

ArmInfo. "We consider the Court of Appeal's decision courageous, given the pressure exerted on the courts," lawyer Ara Zograbyan told journalists, commenting on the court's decision to send Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan's case back for a new hearing. Recall that the Criminal Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Edgar Manasyan, partially upheld the defense's appeal. The case was sent back for reconsideration; the house arrest imposed on the clergyman was lifted, but a ban on leaving the republic was left in place.

"Although we, of course, had every reason to expect an acquittal, it was also important that the Criminal Court of Appeal recorded a violation of that jurisdictional rule, about which, as you recall, we filed a motion with the Yerevan judge at the very first hearing requesting that this case be considered by the Shirak Regional Court of General Jurisdiction. The court explained that it annulled the verdict because it found it to be a substantial procedural violation, and it is sending the case to the Shirak Regional Court of General Jurisdiction for consideration. In that respect this is naturally positive. Under such pressure we consider this a truly courageous decision," the lawyer said.

Recall that on September 24, 2025 Judge Armine Meliksetyan of the Yerevan Criminal Court issued a guilty verdict against Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, in the case concerning public calls to seize power, and a few days later sentenced him to two years' imprisonment.

The head of the Shirak Diocese is accused of, while holding the ecclesiastical rank of archbishop and regularly speaking publicly in the media, having a large number of followers and therefore a significant ability to influence the behavior of members of society by his words, disagreeing with the positions of the Republic of Armenia's government on domestic and foreign policy, and using the media and information-communication technologies, first on February 3, 2024 and then on June 21, 2025, in interviews with media representatives, publicly calling for the seizure of power.