Ark of the World founder given harsher sentence on appeal

An Athens appeals court on Thursday increased the prison sentence of Father Antonios Papanikolaou to nine years and six months for the abusive treatment of minors in the charity’s facilities — a significant rise from the four years and three months imposed in November 2024.

The court found him guilty on nine of 19 charges, citing exhausting punishments, threats, beatings and forced manual labor presented as “reform” practices. 

Three complainants withdrew their statements during the appeal. Judges also referred parts of the case to prosecutors to examine possible perjury and witness tampering.

The sentence was converted into a €60,000 fine. Papanikolaou said he could not pay and claimed the conviction was biased. Further trials are pending, including a March 18 hearing on abuse allegations and a separate forgery case scheduled for 2026.