Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said security forces had foiled a coup plot involving what he called a “criminal-oligarchic clergy,” amid his escalating standoff with the influential Apostolic Church.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that law enforcement officers foiled an attempt to seize power by the “Holy Struggle” movement.
“Law enforcement officers have thwarted a large-scale and sinister plan of the ‘criminal oligarchic clergy’ to destabilize the situation in the Republic of Armenia and seize power,” Pashinyan wrote on the social network.
It is noted that since the beginning of the day, law enforcement officers have been conducting searches at members of the “Holy Struggle” movement, led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.
The Investigative Committee of Armenia claims in its press release that Archbishop Galstanyan “acquired the necessary means and tools to commit terrorist acts and seize power as part of a group, and also deliberately created other conditions, thereby preparing for the usurpation of power.”
The day before, the Armenian media outlet Civic received a coup plan allegedly being prepared by the opposition against the current government of Armenia.
The document, obtained from “reliable sources in the opposition,” outlines a step-by-step action plan, a list of participants, and a list of resources at the conspirators’ disposal.
The conflict between the Prime Minister and the head of the Armenian Church, Archbishop Galstanyan, has been going on for several months.
The Holy Struggle movement stated that law enforcement officers are “conducting an operation at the residence of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan” on June 25.
