Latest news with #CatholicosGareginII
Arab News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Armenia PM says foiled ‘sinister' coup plot by senior cleric
Pashinyan has been at loggerheads with the Church since its head, Catholicos Garegin II, began calling for his resignation'Law enforcement officers have foiled a large-scale and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy' to destabilize the situation,' Pashinyan wroteYEREVAN: Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday that the security forces had foiled a coup plot involving a senior cleric, the latest twist in his escalating conflict with the powerful Apostolic has been at loggerheads with the Church since its head, Catholicos Garegin II, began calling for his resignation following Armenia's disastrous 2020 military defeat to arch-foe Azerbaijan over the then-disputed Karabakh dispute escalated after Baku seized full control of the region in 2023. Pashinyan started pushing an unpopular peace deal with Azerbaijan that would essentially renounce Yerevan's claims to a region many Armenians see as their ancestral homeland.'Law enforcement officers have foiled a large-scale and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy' to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Armenia and seize power,' Pashinyan wrote on his Telegram channel early authorities arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a charismatic senior church figure trying to rally opposition to Pashinyan, accusing him of trying to mastermind the attempted coup.'Since November 2024 (he) set himself the goal of changing power by means not permitted by the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia,' said the Investigative Committee, which probes major Apostolic Church wields considerable influence in Armenia, which in the fourth century became the first nation to adopt Christianity as a state who leads the opposition movement Sacred Struggle, last year accused Pashinyan of ceding territory to Azerbaijan and led mass protests that ultimately failed to topple the prime lawyer, Ruben Melikyan, condemned the case as politically told reporters the archbishop 'acts independently' and said case materials showed no connection to the Investigative Committee said it had arrested 14 people and launched criminal proceedings against 16 suspects after raids of more than 90 premises in a case related to Galstanyan's Sacred Struggle photos of guns and ammunition found during a series of raids, it alleged that Galstanyan had 'acquired the necessary means and tools to carry out terrorist acts and seize power.'It also released covert recordings suggesting Galstanyan and his allies had called to execute officials, imprison opponents, and suppress any resistance by force.'We either kill, or we die,' said a man, whose voice was said to resemble that of Galstanyan, in one of the legal team said it expected he would be 'charged with terrorism and attempted seizure of power.'The website published footage showing Galstanyan leaving his house accompanied by masked police officers, who escorted him into a car and drove him away.'Evil, listen carefully — whatever you do, you have very little time left. Hold on, we are coming,' he said, apparently addressing Pashinyan,A crowd of supporters outside shouted, 'Nikol is a traitor!'The loss of Karabakh has divided Armenia, as Azerbaijan has demanded sweeping concessions in exchange for lasting earlier this month alleged Garegin II had an illegitimate child and, in an unprecedented challenge to the church, called on believers to remove him from triggered fierce opposition and calls for Pashinyan himself to be Galstanyan, a follower of Garegin II, catapulted to the forefront of Armenian politics in 2024 as he galvanized mass protests and sought to impeach charismatic cleric temporarily stepped down from his religious post to challenge Pashinyan for prime minister — though as a dual Armenian-Canadian citizen, he is not eligible to hold the grip on power, boosted by unpopular opposition parties and strong support in parliament, has so far remained unshaken.A former journalist and opposition lawmaker, he came to power after leading street protests that escalated into a peaceful revolution in 2018.
Al Jazeera
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Armenia arrests prominent archbishop over alleged coup plot
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan says security officials have thwarted a coup plot involving a leading cleric from Armenia's national church. The arrest of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the opposition movement Holy Struggle, on Wednesday marks a sharp escalation in Pashinyan's standoff with the leadership of the powerful Apostolic Church. The church's leader, Catholicos Garegin II, has called for Pashinyan's resignation after Armenia lost a war to Azerbaijan in 2020, while Galstanyan, the primate of the Diocese of Tavush, led mass protests last year, aiming to unseat the prime minister, channelling widespread public anger over military defeats and territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. 'Law enforcement officers prevented a large and sinister plan by the 'criminal-oligarchic clergy' to destabilize the Republic of Armenia and seize power,' Pashinyan wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, sharing a statement by Armenia's Investigative Committee. The committee said it had filed criminal charges against Galstanyan and 15 others, who they said had 'acquired the means and tools necessary to commit a terrorist attack and seize power'. A total of 14 people had been arrested, investigators said, without naming them. The committee's statement claimed that Galstanyan — who has previously expressed his desire to replace Pashinyan as prime minister, although he is unable to hold office due to being a dual Armenian-Canadian citizen — sought to overthrow the government with the help of his supporters. It said the group had recruited about 1,000 people, mainly former soldiers and police officers, and divided them into strike groups, assigning each a task to destabilise the country, by blocking roads, inciting violence or blocking the internet. It claimed that the group had acquired weapons, explosives, and other dangerous materials in preparation for the plot. It said searches were under way at the homes of Galstanyan and about 30 of his associates. The committee also published audio recordings purporting to reveal Galstanyan and others discussing plans for the alleged coup plot. 'We are coming' an Armenian news website, published footage of Galstanyan being taken from his house into a car by masked police officers, and driven away. 'Evil, listen carefully – whatever you do, you have very little time left. Hold on, we are coming,' he said, in an apparent reference to Pashinyan, as a crowd outside shouted 'Nikol is a traitor', the AFP news agency reported. A lawmaker close to Galstanyan, Garnik Danielyan, said the raids were 'actions of a dictatorial regime' and said the accusations against the archbishop were fabricated, AFP reported. Wednesday's developments follow the arrest of another prominent government opponent earlier this month, when Russian-Armenian real estate billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was detained on accusations of making public calls to usurp power, the Reuters news agency reported. Divided nation Armenia's humiliating military defeat by Azerbaijan, resulting in the 2023 loss of Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist enclave in Azerbaijan, has left bitter divisions in Armenia, notably between Pashinyan and the Apostolic Church. Earlier this month, Pashinyan unsuccessfully attempted to oust Garegin II as the head of the church, calling on the faithful to elect a new spiritual leader to 'liberate' the church, AFP reported. Russia, a treaty ally of Armenia, said the alleged coup plot was an internal matter for Yerevan, but had an interest in calm and order being maintained, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
