Archbishop Ajapakhyan was detained in Armenia

Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), has been detained on suspicion of calling for the overthrow of power in Armenia. His lawyer Ara Zohrabyan announced this on June 27.

"I would like to inform [the Prime Minister of Armenia] Nikol Pashinyan is informed that I have been detained," Sputnik Armenia quoted Ajapakhyan as saying on its Telegram channel.

According to Zohrabyan, the court in Yerevan will consider the issue of the clergyman's arrest within 24 hours.

The archbishop could also have been quietly removed from the building of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, journalist Hayk Harutyunyan notes.

War for Faith: Armenian security forces tried to detain Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan

Scuffles break out between priests and police at the residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians

On the same day, the Investigative Committee of Armenia opened a criminal case after citizens prevented the detention of Archbishop Ajapakhyan. A scuffle was reported between police officers and priests near the residence of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. The security forces tried to detain Ajapakhyan, but the believers and priests did not allow him to be taken away.

On June 26, the Armenian Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case under Article 422 ("Public calls for the violent overthrow of power") against Archbishop Ajapakhyan. The reason was the archbishop's public statements about the political situation in the country.