Senior figure in AAC arrested on charges of attempting coup after voluntarily surrendering to authorities

(MENAFN) A senior figure in the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) has been arrested on charges of attempting a coup after voluntarily surrendering to authorities, deepening the standoff between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government and opposition forces.

Police conducted a raid on the AAC’s headquarters in the city of Vagharshapat, sparking violent clashes between clergy, church supporters, and law enforcement. Although earlier efforts to arrest Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan were blocked by demonstrators, the cleric later chose to walk to the Investigative Committee (IC) office and hand himself in. Adjapahyan denies the accusations of plotting a coup.

Several pro-Church demonstrators were also detained, with the IC announcing that it had opened criminal cases for obstructing justice.

Tensions between the Armenian government and the AAC have been mounting for months, as the Church has been a leading force behind protests against Pashinyan’s controversial decision to hand over disputed border villages to Azerbaijan. While Pashinyan argues the move is necessary to normalize relations with Baku, many Armenians view it as a betrayal of national sovereignty.

The situation escalated further this week when authorities arrested Bagrat Galstanyan, another influential cleric and protest leader, on terrorism charges. Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who has voiced support for the Church, was also detained on accusations of inciting the overthrow of the state.

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