Court upholds house arrest for Archbishop Ajapahyan

ArmInfo. The court has upheld the house arrest of Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan,  the Primate of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.  During today's hearing, the court rejected a motion filed by the  Archbishop's defense team to either overturn or modify his current  detention.

While the house arrest remains in effect, the judge  granted a partial concession regarding his religious duties: the  Archbishop is allowed to attend Sunday liturgies and receive  communion; he remains prohibited from personally conducting or  officiating any liturgical services.

It was also announced today that Archbishop Ajapahyan, the Primate of  the Shirak Diocese, visited the Izmirlian Medical Center for a  medical check-up a month after his surgery. Doctors have categorized  his health status as satisfactory. 

In October 2025, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, the head of the Shirak  Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, was sentenced by a Yerevan  court to two years in prison. He was found guilty under Article 422  (Part 2) of the Armenian Criminal Code, involving public calls for  the seizure of power and the violent overthrow of the constitutional  order. On February 6, he was moved to house arrest due to  post-surgery health issues.