Armenian court jails archbishop over ‘coup’ plot
According to the Armenian site Civilnet, a court in Armenia condemned a well -known Archbishop for two years after calling for a regime in what he condemned by a political -motivated hearing.
The ruthless conflict, which pit the Armenian Apostolic Church against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government, concluded a series of leading clergymen who were arrested for attempts to provoke violent blows.
In addition to the Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, who was sentenced to Friday, another clergyman, who led the street protests against Pashinyan last year, faced criminal charges.
In June, Ajapahyan was arrested from an interview he gave in the previous year, when he said there was a need for a coup in Armenia.
At that time, the prosecutor said the statement did not require a penalty.
However, after making similar statements this year, the 62 -year -old cleric was arrested.
In a statement after the decision last week, the Apostolic Church Ajapahyan’s conviction was the “political revenge” action.
The stance with the church is under internal pressure to make a peace agreement with Azerbaijan to end the decades of conflict between the South Caucasus neighbors, where Pashinyan faces the parliamentary elections next year.
In August, a US peace agreement was signed at Washington DC, but continues to sign the agreement, including Azerbaijan’s request that Armenia has changed its constitution.
