YEREVAN – A senior cleric of the Armenian Apostolic Church made a defiant statement during a court hearing on Tuesday, where a judge extended his pre-trial detention by one month.
“I ask for freedom from no one. I am already free,” declared the religious leader, who serves as the primate of the Shirak Diocese. Addressing the court directly, he urged officials to “overcome your fear and be free.”
The clergyman described his prison conditions in stark terms, stating that the cell in which he is held is a dishonor to the state. He questioned the judge about whether he should be kept under such circumstances, portraying himself as being confined like an animal.
The court proceeding, overseen by Judge Armine Meliksetyan, resulted in the extension of the detention period for an additional 30 days as the legal process continues.
