Multiple Clerics Arrested in Armenia as Church Faces Accusations of Attempted Coup
Armenia faces new wave of church-state tensions as five priests and a bishop are arrested.
ASHTARAK — Armenia is experiencing a fresh escalation in tensions between the state and the Armenian Apostolic Church after authorities arrested six clergy members on October 15. The move came in response to public claims by a priest that the Church attempted to overthrow the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, according to Christnet.eu, citing Reuters.
Lawyers report that five priests from the Western Diocese and local bishop Mkrtich Proshyan were detained. Police also conducted home searches and arrested several civilians. The Armenian government has yet to officially confirm the arrests.
The incident followed a state television interview in which a priest alleged that the Church coerced its members into participating in anti-government protests in 2021. A non-governmental organization subsequently filed a request for an official investigation.
The Church Council condemned the arrests, calling them a “systematic attempt by the government to pressure the Armenian Church.” Tensions have been growing since Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan.
According to AFP, the government arrested several senior clergy this past summer, including Abp. Bagrat Galstanyan, who led protests against Pashinyan. Abp. Mikael Adjapahyan was sentenced in early October to two years in prison for "calls to overthrow the regime."
The Armenian Apostolic Church holds significant influence in Armenian society — Armenia was the first nation to adopt Christianity as its state religion in the fourth century. Prime Minister Pashinyan, who rose to power during the 2018 revolution, is now under heavy criticism for the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh and concessions to Azerbaijan.
Tensions are likely to intensify ahead of the June 2026 parliamentary elections, as Pashinyan seeks to maintain control amid growing friction with the Church.
Previously, UOJ reported that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had vowed to lead a "cleansing" of Armenian clergy.
