Jailed Armenian archbishop appeals to European Court

Panorama.am

Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan has filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), alleging violations of his rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, his legal team said on Friday.

The application alleges unlawful detention in breach of Article 5, violations of freedom of expression under Article 10 and the use of detention and criminal prosecution for political purposes, contrary to Article 18 of the convention, the lawyers said.

Meanwhile, Armenia’s Criminal Court of Appeals will continue hearings in the case later on Friday. The judges are due to announce a decision related to a motion seeking a change of the preventive measure against the cleric.

The hearing, scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. local time with a 30-minute delay, will be open to the public, the defense team said.