On June 25, the Armenian court lifted the house arrest of Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, while keeping a travel ban in place and ordering a fresh review of his case.
The judge ruled that the case should be returned to the Shirak Court of General Jurisdiction for reconsideration, according to Armenian media reports, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.
"The preventive measure of house arrest imposed on Mikael Ajapahian is cancelled, while the travel ban remains unchanged," the judge said.
The court also ordered that the case be transferred to a regional court for further review.
Ajapahian was arrested in late June 2025 on charges of publicly calling for the overthrow of the government. Prosecutors cited earlier interviews in which he criticised Armenia's leadership, accusing it of pursuing policies detrimental to the country and speaking of the need for a change of power.
The cleric was sentenced to two years in prison. In February, the Court of Appeal in Yerevan ordered his release from custody and placed him under house arrest pending further proceedings, while maintaining restrictions on his travel.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
