Armenian Archbishop Arrested for Alleged Coup Plot Amid Crackdown on Church Influence

Abp. Bagrat Galstayan speaks at an opposition rally [CREDIT: Alexander Patrin/ITAR-TASS/IMAGO]

YEREVAN — On June 25, 2025, Armenian authorities arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, head of the Diocese of Tavush in the Armenian Apostolic Church, amid a wave of detentions and raids. A court has ordered his pre-trial detention for two months, according to reports from News.am.

Archbishop Bagrat is a leading figure in the opposition movement “Sacred Struggle,” which arose in response to the 2024 Armenian-Azerbaijani agreement ceding disputed territories. The movement has accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of betraying national interests and capitulating to Baku. Since its inception, the movement has united citizens critical of the government's concessions and perceived abandonment of national security.

Security forces carried out searches at the homes of movement supporters and at the Archbishop’s residence. Authorities submitted requests for the arrest of 16 individuals in total. According to Armenia’s Investigative Committee, members of the “Sacred Struggle” were allegedly planning a violent overthrow of the government and acts of terrorism. Investigators claim that former police and military personnel were involved in forming armed units for coordinated attacks on infrastructure.

As evidence, officials released audio recordings of purported conspiratorial conversations. However, opposition figures and the Archbishop’s legal team assert that the recordings were manipulated and are inadmissible as grounds for prosecution.

This marks the first time in modern Armenian history that a high-ranking clergyman has been arrested on such charges, prompting significant public outcry. The arrest intensifies the ongoing standoff between the Pashinyan administration and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Tensions between Church and state have been escalating. Prime Minister Pashinyan has previously accused Catholicos Karekin II, the spiritual head of the Armenian Church, of conspiracy and breaking his ecclesiastical vows—accusations the Catholicos has categorically denied.

On June 2, the Church’s Supreme Spiritual Council, meeting in Etchmiadzin under the Catholicos’ leadership, criticized the government’s anti-clerical rhetoric. The council included hierarchs from Armenia and the diaspora and condemned recent remarks by the Prime Minister, who likened churches to “warehouses full of useless items” and advocated for stricter evaluations of ecclesiastical properties.

In its official statement, the Council denounced these actions as a politically motivated attack intended to discredit and diminish the Church’s role in society. “The Holy Armenian Apostolic Church stands united with its faithful and will continue its mission to preserve the nation, despite these destructive developments,” the statement concluded.

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