Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. File
| Photograph Credit score: Reuters
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan mentioned on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) that the safety forces had foiled a coup plot involving a senior cleric, the newest twist in his escalating battle with the highly effective Apostolic Church.
Mr. Pashinyan has been at loggerheads with the Church since its head, Catholicos Garegin II, started calling for his resignation following Armenia’s disastrous 2020 army defeat to arch-foe Azerbaijan over the then-disputed Karabakh area.
The dispute escalated after Baku seized full management of the area in 2023. Mr. Pashinyan began pushing an unpopular peace take care of Azerbaijan that might primarily resign Yerevan’s claims to a area many Armenians see as their ancestral homeland.
“Regulation enforcement officers have foiled a large-scale and sinister plan by the ‘criminal-oligarchic clergy’ to destabilise the scenario within the Republic of Armenia and seize energy,” Mr. Pashinyan wrote on his Telegram channel early Wednesday (June 25, 2025).
The authorities arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a charismatic senior church determine making an attempt to rally opposition to Mr. Pashinyan, accusing him of making an attempt to mastermind the tried coup.
“Since November 2024 (he) set himself the purpose of adjusting energy by means not permitted by the Structure of the Republic of Armenia,” mentioned the Investigative Committee, which probes main crimes.
The Apostolic Church wields appreciable affect in Armenia, which within the fourth century turned the primary nation to undertake Christianity as a state faith.
Dwelling raids
Galstanyan, who leads the opposition motion Sacred Wrestle, final yr accused Mr. Pashinyan of ceding territory to Azerbaijan and led mass protests that in the end didn’t topple the prime minister.
His lawyer, Ruben Melikyan, condemned the case as politically motivated.
He informed reporters the archbishop “acts independently” and mentioned case supplies confirmed no connection to the Church.
The Investigative Committee mentioned it had arrested 14 folks and launched felony proceedings towards 16 suspects after raids of greater than 90 premises in a case associated to Galstanyan’s Sacred Wrestle motion.
Publishing images of weapons and ammunition discovered throughout a collection of raids, it alleged that Galstanyan had “acquired the required means and instruments to hold out terrorist acts and seize energy”.
It additionally launched covert recordings suggesting Galstanyan and his allies had referred to as to execute officers, imprison opponents, and suppress any resistance by pressure.
“We both kill, or we die,” mentioned a person, whose voice was mentioned to resemble that of Galstanyan, in one of many clips.
Galstanyan’s authorized staff mentioned it anticipated he could be “charged with terrorism and tried seizure of energy.”
The Information.am web site revealed footage displaying Galstanyan leaving his home accompanied by masked law enforcement officials, who escorted him right into a automobile and drove him away.
“Evil, hear rigorously — no matter you do, you have got little or no time left. Maintain on, we’re coming,” he mentioned, apparently addressing Mr. Pashinyan,
A crowd of supporters exterior shouted, “Nikol is a traitor!”
Revealed – June 26, 2025 12:06 am IST
