Armenia PM says foiled 'sinister' coup plot by senior cleric

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on June 25, that security forces had thwarted a coup attempt involving a senior cleric, amid his growing conflict with the leadership of the influential Apostolic Church.

Pashinyan has been in conflict with top church figures since 2020, when Catholicos Garegin II began demanding his resignation following Armenia's devastating military loss to Azerbaijan over the then-contested Nagorno-Karabakh region.

“Law enforcement agencies have prevented a large-scale and malicious scheme by the ‘criminal-oligarchic clergy’ to destabilize Armenia and seize power,” Pashinyan stated on his Telegram channel.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia revealed that Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan had, since November 2024, aimed to change the government through unconstitutional means.

As the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion in the 4th century, Armenia grants the Apostolic Church special constitutional status, giving it significant influence within Armenian society.

Last year, Galstanyan, who leads the opposition group Sacred Struggle, accused Pashinyan of surrendering territory to Azerbaijan and organized mass protests which ultimately failed to oust the prime minister.

The Investigative Committee further stated that Galstanyan, with prior approval from several movement members, procured the means to carry out terrorist acts and seize power.

“Searches are ongoing at the residences of Archbishop Bagrat and approximately 30 of his associates,” the committee added.

Last week, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was detained for two months pending trial on charges of advocating the usurpation of power in Armenia, following his supportive comments about the church. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.

Earlier this month, Pashinyan escalated his challenge to Catholicos Garegin II, urging the faithful to remove him from office.

He called on Armenians to form a "coordination group" aimed at “liberating” the Church and electing a new spiritual leader.

Pashinyan also alleged that Garegin II has a child, sparking a heated controversy that led opposition figures to demand Pashinyan’s excommunication.