Foiled ‘sinister’ coup plot by senior cleric of Church, says Armenia PM

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) that the safety forces had foiled a coup plot involving a senior cleric, the most recent 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 surrender Yerevan’s claims to a area many Armenians see as their ancestral homeland.

“Legislation enforcement officers have foiled a large-scale and sinister plan by the ‘criminal-oligarchic clergy’ to destabilise the state of affairs 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 attempting to rally opposition to Mr. Pashinyan, accusing him of attempting to mastermind the tried coup.

“Since November 2024 (he) set himself the objective of adjusting energy by means not permitted by the Structure of the Republic of Armenia,” stated the Investigative Committee, which probes main crimes.

The Apostolic Church wields appreciable affect in Armenia, which within the fourth century grew to become the primary nation to undertake Christianity as a state faith.

Residence raids

Galstanyan, who leads the opposition motion Sacred Battle, final 12 months accused Mr. Pashinyan of ceding territory to Azerbaijan and led mass protests that in the end did not topple the prime minister.

His lawyer, Ruben Melikyan, condemned the case as politically motivated.

He informed reporters the archbishop “acts independently” and stated case supplies confirmed no connection to the Church.

The Investigative Committee stated it had arrested 14 folks and launched legal proceedings towards 16 suspects after raids of greater than 90 premises in a case associated to Galstanyan’s Sacred Battle motion.

Publishing pictures of weapons and ammunition discovered throughout a collection of raids, it alleged that Galstanyan had “acquired the mandatory 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 drive.

“We both kill, or we die,” stated a person, whose voice was stated to resemble that of Galstanyan, in one of many clips.

Galstanyan’s authorized crew stated it anticipated he could be “charged with terrorism and tried seizure of energy.”

The Information.am web site printed footage displaying Galstanyan leaving his home accompanied by masked law enforcement officials, who escorted him right into a automobile and drove him away.

“Evil, pay attention fastidiously — no matter you do, you might have little or no time left. Maintain on, we’re coming,” he stated, apparently addressing Mr. Pashinyan,

A crowd of supporters outdoors shouted, “Nikol is a traitor!”