Archbishop charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan has been charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism, organize mass disturbances and plotting a coup, his lawyer told reporters.

The investigators plan to file a motion to court to remand Galstanyan in pre-trial detention. He is currently under arrest.

Galstanyan denies wrongdoing and considers the charges as “political persecution”, his lawyer Sergey Harutyunyan said.

Armenian authorities announced Wednesday morning that they had thwarted a terror plot orchestrated by members of the protest movement led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.

The movement, known as Srbazan Paykar (Sacred Struggle), began organizing anti-government demonstrations in mid-2024. Authorities said the leaders of the demonstrations had been plotting a violent coup since November 2024.