Mikael Ajapahyan`s attorney states what threatens the archbishop

ArmInfo. Marine Farmanyan, the attorney for the primate of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) Mikael Ajapahyan  in the case involving calls for a power seizure, has presented potential options for the verdict that may be issued against the archbishop after the court session  today.

As the lawyer informed the media outside the court building,  Archbishop Mikael faces several potential punishments under the  specific article  he is charged with. These include a fine, which she  considers less likely;  a short term of imprisonment, from one to two  months; assign correctional labor - which is impossible due to the  age of the archbishop, or a longer term of imprisonment  ranging from  two to five years.

"However, it should be noted that the charge against the archbishop  is considered a crime of medium gravity, and previously, as far as I  know, a preventive measure in the form of detention has not been  applied for a similar charge," Farmanyan noted.

The lawyer noted that she has no expectations regarding the court's  decision on the archbishop's case, as the trial has already  demonstrated that justice cannot be expected under such conditions of  violations. "Let's see how the case goes further. Maybe the judge  will reconsider the violations he has committed and finally  understand that he cannot treat his own state and justice system this  way. In any case, everyone will answer for this lawlessness later,"  the lawyer emphasized.

She also noted that today the law in Armenia is so devalued that the  Institute of the ban on a second trial is interpreted arbitrarily.  "The defense tried in every way to demonstrate that the National  Security Service had already stated that there was no crime in this  case. However, despite this, bypassing one of the most important  institutions, the Armenian prosecutor, the head of the Investigative  Committee, and I expect that today, including the court, continue to  simultaneously destroy its principles. But in the future, this will  work against them. Both history and justice know many similar cases,  and they are not insured against this in any way," the lawyer  concluded.