Factor TV attempted to find out whether Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese, had ever discussed the topic of a military coup with Armenia’s second and third presidents.
Former President Serzh Sargsyan stated that he has not had any meetings with Ajapahyan since 2018, and denied having such a conversation with him. Robert Kocharyan, the second president, chose not to respond to any questions.
Ajapahyan had previously claimed in a 2024 interview with Gala TV that he had spoken to both Sargsyan and Kocharyan about the necessity of a military coup. The Prosecutor’s Office has interpreted this as a potential incitement to seize power.
“I openly said it several times — a military coup is needed. I said this during the war and told the presidents — Kocharyan and Serzh. I said: Mr. President Kocharyan, you were president for ten years, before that a year or two as prime minister, and before that president of Artsakh. Don’t you have a single loyal general, either in the army, police, or national security, who would stand by you and carry out a coup if necessary? Serzh, you were president for ten years, defense minister, internal affairs minister, national security minister, national security secretary — was there any position you didn’t hold? Even chess federation president. Don’t you have a single loyal general?” Ajapahyan said in the interview.
On September 2, during court hearings involving Kocharyan and Sargsyan at the Anti-Corruption Court, Factor TV asked whether they had received such a suggestion from the archbishop. Sargsyan replied that he had no such conversation and has not met Ajapahyan since 2018.
“No, there was no such conversation,” Sargsyan stated.
Robert Kocharyan chose not to respond at all. He said he would speak at a future press conference and declined to answer any questions in the meantime, even when reminded that decisions regarding Ajapahyan might be made before then.
The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin condemned the extension of Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan’s pretrial detention, accusing the court of joining an anti-church campaign allegedly initiated by the authorities.
“On September 2, in blatant violation of the law and justice, the detention of His Eminence Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was once again extended,” the statement reads.
