Detained senior Armenian clerics send birthday greetings to Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan

Two detained Armenian archbishops have sent birthday greetings to Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, who is recovering after surgery at the Izmirlian Medical Center.

In a message released on Saturday, Archbishops Bagrat Galstanyan and Arshak Khachatryan congratulated the archbishop on his birthday, wishing him robust health, unwavering faith and strength, and expressing hope that future celebrations would take place in a “country free of evil” and living with hope and victory.

In the message, the senior clerics described themselves as “imprisoned but free”, offering prayers and blessings to Ajapahyan as they remain in custody.

Mikayel Ajapahyan, who has been sentenced to two years in prison after being convicted of calling for a violent seizure of power in Armenia, successfully underwent surgery on Friday. He has denied the charges as politically motivated.