Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese, will be transferred to Izmirlyan Medical Center for surgery, according to a statement released by his legal team.

The request for the surgery to be performed at his own expense was originally submitted to the Penitentiary Service on October 7, 2025. It was subsequently forwarded to the “Penitentiary Medical Center” SNCO.

Archbishop Ajapahyan’s defense team also filed a written application on October 29, 2025, but did not receive a response until November 28. At that point, the Center’s director claimed that Ajapahyan had refused free surgery, a claim disputed by his lawyers.

Justice ministry officials later explained the delay as a failure to submit a “properly formatted” application. The defense team argued that no official ever clarified that such formal requirements were necessary to uphold the detainee’s right to healthcare.

According to those technical requirements, a detained person must submit a written request to the head of the prison’s medical unit, explicitly naming the civilian doctor, their contact details, and the medical institution.

On December 11, 2025, the Penitentiary Medical Center officially informed the parties that all required documents had been forwarded to the Yerevan-Kentron detention facility and proposed proceeding with the surgery.

Archbishop Ajapahyan was sentenced to two years in prison under Article 422, Part 2 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, for public calls aimed at usurping power, violating territorial integrity, renouncing sovereignty, or overthrowing the constitutional order by force. He has been in custody since June 28 and denies all charges.