Armenian PM Announces Foiled Large-Scale Cleric-Led Coup Plot

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that security forces thwarted a large-scale coup attempt led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and his 'Sacred Struggle' movement, which planned to destabilize the country and seize power through terrorist acts. The Investigative Committee revealed that the group intended to deploy coordinated strike units, including former military and police personnel, to carry out sabotage, attacks on public infrastructure, and create chaos to paralyze the state within 24–36 hours. Authorities claim the group acquired weapons and explosives and recruited over a thousand individuals, deliberately excluding legal means to change power. Pashinyan praised law enforcement for preventing this 'criminal-oligarchic-clerical' plot, while associates of Galstanyan denounced the accusations as fabricated. The investigation is ongoing, with officials urging the public to remain calm and law-abiding. This development highlights escalating tensions between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church amidst political instability following the loss of the Karabakh region.