Summary
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that security forces stopped a coup attempt led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan of Armenia’s national church. Authorities charged Galstanyan and others with planning to destabilize the government, arresting 14 people in connection with the case.
Key Facts
- Armenian security officials stopped a coup plot involving Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.
- Bagrat Galstanyan leads an opposition movement called Holy Struggle.
- Authorities arrested 14 people suspected of involvement in the coup plot.
- The accused were allegedly preparing for actions like blocking roads and using explosives.
- There is tension between Prime Minister Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church, especially since Armenia's military loss to Azerbaijan in 2020.
- The Armenian Investigative Committee says the group had recruited around 1,000 former soldiers and police officers.
- Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is a dual Armenian-Canadian citizen, making him ineligible to become Armenia's prime minister.
- Russian officials view the situation as an internal matter but express a desire for stability in Armenia.
