Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office has filed an appeal seeking to increase the sentence of Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese, to two years and six months in prison, according to the Datalex court system.

On October 3, Yerevan’s Court of General Jurisdiction, presided over by Judge Armine Meliksetyan, sentenced the cleric to two years in prison.

The defense has also filed an appeal, demanding Archbishop Ajapahyan be fully acquitted, reports A1+.

The appeals will be heard by Judges Edgar Manasyan, Narine Hovakimyan, and Vache Margaryan, as listed in the Datalex system.

Archbishop Mikael was convicted of “making public calls aimed at the usurpation of power and the violent overthrow of constitutional order using mass media and communication technologies.”

According to the indictment, the alleged calls were made during two separate interviews: on February 3, 2024, and June 21, 2025.

The case centers on two specific statements that prosecutors interpreted as incitement to a coup. The defense argues no such calls were made.

The charges carry a range of possible punishments, from fines to imprisonment of two to five years.