Yerevan court overturns conviction of Armenian Church hierarch
Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan of the Armenian Church. Photo: amnews.am
The Court of Appeal of Armenia fully overturned the conviction of Armenian Church Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan on June 25, 2026, and released him from house arrest, reports Sputnik.
The Appellate Court judge, by his ruling, terminated the house arrest for Archbishop Mikael, replacing it with a travel ban. The criminal case was referred to the Court of General Jurisdiction of the Shirak region for a new hearing.
Archbishop Mikael himself greeted the news of his release with irony. "They shouldn't have overturned it — I was watching football," the hierarch joked to journalists, referring to World Cup broadcasts. Later, he added more seriously that he was disappointed by the absence of a full acquittal in his case.
As the UOJ reported, the Armenian authorities refused to allow Russian clergy of the Armenian Church to leave Armenia.
Read also
Orthodox and Catholic bishops make joint visit to Mount Athos
The head of the Phanar blessed a joint pilgrimage to Mount Athos by Roman Catholic and Orthodox bishops.
UOC Kryvyi Rih Eparchy marks 30th anniversary
Metropolitan Yefrem led the anniversary Divine Liturgy in Kryvyi Rih.
Ostapenko: Everyone in UCCRO feels fine except the “FSB UOC”
The director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve called the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches “a wonderful organization.”
Khmelnytskyi Eparchy donates funds for treatment of 12-year-old girl
UOC believers raised UAH 20,000 for Anastasiia Mamchur as part of an eparchial charity campaign.
Shevchuk: We had to convince world UOC ban does not violate religious freedom
The UGCC head claims that by banning the UOC, the state is not violating religious freedom but merely protecting the Church’s faithful from Moscow propaganda.
Lavra reserve head estimates damage to Dormition Cathedral at €15 million
Maksym Ostapenko said restoring the Dormition Cathedral would take at least a couple of years and require major funding.