Armenian court extends detention of Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan amid criticism of arbitrary rulings, religious freedom crackdown

YEREVAN, ARMENIA — An Armenian court has rejected a defense motion seeking the release of Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, extending his detention for another ten days. The ruling, delivered on August 15, 2025, was issued during a session attended by members of the clergy, lawyers, and citizens. The archbishop’s legal defense team, composed of five attorneys representing the Armenian Apostolic Church, had petitioned for the immediate release of the cleric, invoking both legal and ecclesiastical grounds. 

The decision has ignited controversy across religious and legal circles, fueling growing calls for the archbishop’s freedom. 

Statement of Archbishop Ajapahyan at the initial hearing 

During the opening session of his trial, Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan told the court that he had “never felt such a degree of freedom” as he had during his 50 days in detention. 

Reflecting on his decades of public life, Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan said: “Since entering the ecclesiastical field, I confronted the mighty Soviet Empire—yet even the Soviet Union did not commit this mistake, nor did it issue a verdict against me. 

The Soviet authorities, whom I consistently criticized, never imprisoned me. Neither did the leaders of the national independence movement, who also faced my criticism. The Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan regimes, both of which I opposed, likewise never jailed me. And yet, in this enlightened, revolutionary, democratic country, I find myself imprisoned as a criminal.” 

Decisions of the Prosecutor General 

The Prosecutor General has barred His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, from visiting Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan in pretrial detention. The decision, issued by the competent investigator and endorsed by the Prosecutor General, drew sharp criticism from the archbishop’s lawyer, Yerem Sargsyan, who argued: “There is no legal basis for refusing the visit. A meeting with the Catholicos would not have affected the investigation.” 

In a separate move, the Prosecutor General also denied defense motions to transfer the case to Gyumri and to terminate the criminal prosecution. While part of the request was rejected outright, consideration of another element was postponed. 

One member of the defense team said the judge’s ruling amounted not to a legitimate judicial decision but to “an action contrary to the law.” 

Etchmiadzin condemns court over Archbishop’s detention 

The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin has issued a forceful condemnation of the arrest of Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan and the court’s decision to extend his detention, calling it “a new violation of justice.” 

In a statement, the Holy Etchmiadzin said the rulings against Archbishop Ajapahyan and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan demonstrate the judiciary’s “complete subordination to the ruling political authority.” The Church accused the courts of adopting a “punitive character” and serving as “a tool for suppressing freedom of expression and religious freedom.” 

The statement further warned that “acts of repression and media terrorism against the Church, its clergy, and its supporters” would not succeed in silencing the voice of conscience and justice. 

Background to the arrests 

In late June 2025, Armenian security forces raided the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and detained Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan on charges of making public calls for a coup against the government. 

Businessman Samvel Karapetyan, president of the Tashir Group of Companies, was also arrested on similar charges of inciting a coup.  

However, observers suggest his detention was politically motivated, linked more to his outspoken support for the Armenian Apostolic Church than to the official accusations. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has publicly criticized the Church in the past, reportedly using derogatory language to describe it.