Armenian authorities have detained Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a prominent religious figure, on charges of plotting to overthrow Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government.
The Armenian Investigative Committee alleges the archbishop and his supporters recruited 1,000 former soldiers and police officers to block roads, incite violence, and cut internet access as part of a coordinated power grab. The arrest follows weeks of escalating tensions between Pashinyan’s administration and opposition forces, including the recent detention of Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan on similar accusations.
The Audio Evidence and Political Fallout
Authorities released intercepted audio recordings purportedly featuring Galstanyan discussing plans to destabilize the government. The arrest marks a dramatic escalation in Pashinyan’s crackdown on dissent following Armenia’s 2020 military defeat to Azerbaijan and the 2023 loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, which sparked widespread protests led by Galstanyan last year. The prime minister, who faces 2026 parliamentary elections, has framed the alleged plot as an attempt by the “criminal-oligarchic clergy” to seize control.
The arrest comes amid fragile Armenia-Azerbaijan peace talks, with ceasefire violations surging this year. Armenia, a Russian treaty ally, has seen its relationship with Moscow deteriorate over Nagorno-Karabakh and its recent pivot toward the West. The Kremlin, while calling the coup allegations an internal Armenian matter, emphasized its interest in maintaining stability in the region. Meanwhile, opposition groups accuse Pashinyan of using the arrests to suppress critics ahead of elections.
