Analyst slams prison sentence demand for Armenian archbishop

Political analyst Suren Surenyants has described the criminal case against Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, the leader of the Shirak Diocese, as a dangerous signal for Armenia’s political future.

Prosecutor Arman Baghdasaryan has demanded a prison sentence of 2 years and 6 months for the senior cleric found guilty of making public calls for a violent overthrow of the government. Surenyants noted that under the same article, the punishment could range from a fine to imprisonment, calling the charges “absurd".

“This is not the exercise of justice, it’s the case of a political hostage,” he wrote on Facebook on Tuesday, stressing that such prosecutions are characteristic of authoritarian states. The court is set to announce its verdict on October 3, but Surenyants believes both the prosecution and judiciary are under pressure from the Armenian leadership.

According to him, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan can either stop the judicial arbitrariness or drag the country deeper into authoritarianism.

Surenyants also warned that the trial is a direct signal ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections, suggesting the authorities plan to maintain power not through competitive elections, but through intimidation and turning opponents into hostages.

“Ajapahyan’s case is a trigger showing Armenia risks sliding irreversibly into authoritarianism,” he added.