Law enforcement has raided a local seat of the national church that has protested territorial concessions to Azerbaijan
© Screenshot / Social media
Armenian police have raided the seat of the country’s Apostolic Church, the country’s largest, in the city of Vagharshapat, leading to major clashes between clerics, church members, and law enforcement.
Security forces have attempted to detain Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan on suspicion of attempting to stage a coup. According to the country’s Investigative Committee, Adjapahyan – who was protected by protesters – remains at large. The cleric himself, however, said that he was ready to go with officers while denying any wrongdoing.
The country’s government has been at odds with the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) for months, as it emerged as the main driver behind the mass protests against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s agreement to return several border villages to Azerbaijan.
While Pashinyan portrayed the move as a pathway to mending tenuous relations between the two former Soviet republics, many Armenians have seen it as a betrayal of national interests.
As the stand-off escalated, Armenian authorities on Wednesday arrested Bagrat Galstanyan, a high-profile cleric and a key protest leader, on terrorism charges.
They also detained Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who voiced support for the AAC. Karapetyan faces charges of calling for the overthrow of the state.
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27 June 2025
15:56 GMT
Only 13% of voters would pick Pashinyan’s party if a parliamentary election was carried out this weekend, a recent MPG/Gallup poll cited by Armenia Today suggests.
Just over half of respondents felt there was more than enough grounds to begin impeachment proceedings against the Armenian prime minister.
Over 35% of Armenians are strongly in favor of impeaching Pashinyan, while 17.8% are firmly against it, according to the poll.
- 15:13 GMT
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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has suggested that Adjapahyan petition the courts to take into account that the archbishop “cannot live even a month without a wife.”
“Moreover, the petition can be impersonal, also for use in the case of other ‘saints’, emphasizing that some cannot live a month without a wife, some without a man,” he wrote in a seemingly mocking tone on Telegram.
The prime minister previously accused the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos Garegin II, of breaching his vow of celibacy and urged him to step down.
- 14:27 GMT
At least 20 protesters have been detained in front of the building, Sputnik Armenia has reported.
- 14:19 GMT
The Union of Armenians in Russia has denounced the raid on the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, saying: “There has never been such a disgrace in the history of our people!”
It accused Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of “provocative actions against the church, business, and the diaspora,” alleging that he “is trying to destroy everything that human nature is based on.”
“This is being done so that not a single force representing the Armenian people with its centuries-old spiritual and moral values, pride, and honor could head into the 2026 elections,” the statement added.
Russia has a significant Armenian diaspora, with the total number estimated at more than 900,00
- 14:18 GMT
Adjapahyan has arrived at the Investigative Committee building and can be seen being led through a wall of law enforcement officers in a video shared by Ruptly.
- 14:13 GMT
Police have been arresting Adjapahyan’s supporters as they march alongside the archbishop, according to footage shared by Ruptly.
- 13:40 GMT
Dozens of law enforcement officers have lined up in front of the Investigative Committee building in anticipation of Adjapahyan’s arrival, who is likely to be accompanied by a crowd of protestors, according to footage shared by Ruptly.
- 13:11 GMT
Protesters allowed Adjapahyan to get into the car, which slowly headed for the Investigative Committee building, with crowds following behind the vehicle, according to footage from the scene.
- 12:43 GMT
Adjapahyan had to set out for the Investigative Committee building on foot after protesters refused to let his vehicle pass, according to several media outlets.
- 12:13 GMT
Adjapahyan has urged protesters to let him pass to prove that the charges against him are bogus. “I am not afraid of anything. This accusation is completely made up and illegal. I have never hidden… and I do not renege on my words,” he said.
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