Armenian authorities have arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a prominent Christian cleric, along with at least 13 others, accusing them of plotting to overthrow the government.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee said it had filed criminal charges against Galstanyan and 15 others, alleging they had “acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power”. A total of 14 people have been arrested, although not all have been named.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claimed on Telegram that authorities had thwarted what he described as a “large and sinister plan by the ‘criminal-oligarchic clergy’” to seize power in Armenia, a former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus.
Galstanyan’s arrest comes amid escalating tensions between Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church, with both sides trading increasingly bitter accusations in recent weeks ahead of elections scheduled for next year. Some senior clerics have previously called for Pashinyan to step down over Armenia’s military defeats against Azerbaijan.
Last week, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was detained on accusations of making public calls to usurp power, after he accused the government of waging a campaign against the church and vowed to act “in his own way” to stop it. Karapetyan’s lawyers say he denies any wrongdoing.
A lawyer for Galstanyan, Sergei Arutyunyan, told journalists his client was being unfairly criminalised by the government, which he accused of trying to “create a smokescreen and simulate that they've caught a terrorist group”.
Pashinyan came to power following street protests in 2018, but has faced mounting pressure since Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan. In 2023, Azerbaijan regained control over the mountainous enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, ending decades of de facto independence for ethnic Armenians there.
Galstanyan and his supporters led days of street protests last summer, demanding Pashinyan’s resignation following recent territorial concessions. Authorities now allege that Galstanyan and his associates recruited more than 1,000 people—mainly former soldiers and police officers—to block roads, disrupt traffic, incite violence and attempt to shut down the internet, all with the aim of destabilising the government and seizing power.
The Investigative Committee has published audio recordings it claims show Galstanyan and others discussing coup plans, along with photographs allegedly showing firearms and other weapons found during searches.
Pashinyan, who faces parliamentary elections in June 2026, has recently moved towards signing a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, though tensions remain high and reports of ceasefire violations have surged this year.