A court in Yerevan today sentenced Andranik Makvetsyan, a member of Jehovah's Witnesses religious organization, to six years in prison.
Makvetsyan was charged with offense of disrespectful behavior against the Armenian Church and the Armenian society.
The case involving the Jehovah's Witness and the priest of the Armenian Church Ter Yesayi Artenyan began in May, when two Jehovah's Witnesses were accused of attacking the priest. The Armenian Apostolic Church Holy Trinity priest Ter Yesayi Artenyan, had claimed that on May 15, he asked two Jehovah's Witnesses who were preaching close to his church premises in Yerevan to leave but they yelled obscenities at him and threatened him with physical violence. When Priest Ter Yesayi Artenyan tried to take a photograph of the Jehovah's Witnesses, one of them hit him on the hand.
Court of General Jurisdiction of Malatia-Sebastia Administrative District found Andranik Makvetsyan guilty under Article 143 of the Armenian Criminal Code (infringement of citizens' equality).
