Armenian Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of inciting a coup, deepening tensions between the government and the national church, RT reported.

The cleric has rejected the charges, calling them politically motivated.

The verdict was issued by a court in Yerevan on Friday. Ajapahyan had been in custody since his arrest in late June.

Prosecutors had sought two and a half years in prison, while his defense argued that he was innocent, according to RT.

The indictment accused the archbishop of calling for the overthrow of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government in two media interviews, one in February 2024 and another in June 2025.

Following his arrest, Ajapahyan declared, “The Lord will not forgive the pathetic minions who kn

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