The Yerevan court arrested the head of the Shirak Diocese, Archbishop Mikael Adjapakhyan, for two months, who was detained the day before, reports TASS, citing the priest's lawyer Ara Zohrabyan.
The defender stated that he considers the court's decision to be unfounded and illegal, and it will be appealed.
On June 25, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that security forces thwarted an attempted coup by "criminal-oligarchic clericalism."
The Investigative Committee of Armenia accused the "Sacred Struggle" movement of preparing a terrorist act, which was created last year by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who temporarily left his ministry and led street protests against Nikol Pashinyan's government. "Having not achieved the goal set by the movement to seize power in the Republic of Armenia by means permitted by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia within several months, since November 2024, he set himself the goal of achieving it by means not permitted by the Constitution," the investigation reported. For this purpose, "in collusion with several members of the movement, he acquired the necessary means and tools to carry out terrorist acts and seize power as part of a group."
Searches were conducted at Galstanyan's and 30 of his associates' places, after which he and several others were arrested.
Yesterday, special forces came to the residence of the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church intending to detain Archbishop Mikael Adjapakhyan. Clashes began between the security forces and believers. The archbishop promised to voluntarily appear before investigators, and when they came in the evening, he was detained.
The conflict occurs against the backdrop of escalating relations between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church, as well as ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2026.
On June 8, the owner of the Russian group of companies "Tashir," Samvel Karapetyan, was arrested on charges of calling for the seizure of power. On June 24, he was transferred to the detention center of the national security service in Yerevan.
Photo: social networks