YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) – Armenia’s Security Services Arrested one of the country’s Top Religious Leaders on Terrorism Charges Wednesday and Accused Him of Plotting to Overthrow The Government, The Second Arrest in a Week of a prominent Political Optonnt.
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Major Figure in the Influential Apostolic Church, Was Arrested by Armenia’s Investigative Committee, Which Accussed Him of Planning to Carry Bombings and Arson Attacks to Disrupt Supplies and Stage Accidents on Major Roads to Palyze Traffic. His lawyer described the cartoons as “fiction.”
Galstanyan Leads The Sacred Strugle Opposition Movement and has demand the resign of prime minister Nikol Pashinyan, who was the focus of protests last yes of thousands of demonstrators after armenia aggreged to hand over control of Several Border Villages to Bitter Rival Azerbaijan and to Normalize Relationships Between The Neighbors.
Galstanyan Leads The Tavush Diocese in Northeastern Armenia and Spearheed A Movement That Opposed The Handover of the Villages in the Country, Which Was Once Part of the Soviet Union. Although The Territorial Concession was the Movement’s Core Issue, It has expanded to a wide array of complaints about pastyan, who come to power in 2018.
The decision to turn the villages followed a Lightning Military CAMPAIGN IN SEPTEMBER 2023in Which Azerbaijan’s Military Forced Ethnic Armenian separatists in the karabakh region to capitulate.
Pashinyan Wrote on Social Media That the Security Services Had was a plot by “The Criminal Oligach Clergy to Far Feature Armenia and Take Power.”
Officials Said 13 Others Also Were Detained Amid Raids by Police on the Homes of Dozens of Opposition Activivis. The Investigative Committee Said it Carried Out Over 90 Searches and Retovered Evidence That Included Firears and Ammunition.
In addition to contesting the cartoons, Galstanyan’s Lawyer, Sergei Harutyunyan, Said Police Searched the Cleric’s Residence for Six Hours But But Found Only Smoke Bombs That Are Commonly Used Used at Protes in Armenia.
“They SPent Time Studying Every Room, Every Closet, Every Letter; They Recorded Everything,” Harutyunyan Said.
Attempts to Impeach Pashinyan Were Usuccessful, But the Relationship Between Him and the Apostolic Church has deteriorated.
On June 8, Pashinyan Called for Church Leader Catholics Karekin II To Resign After Accusing Him of Fathering A Child Depth the Vow of Celibacy. The Church Released A Statement at the Time Accusing Pashinyan of Undermining Armenia’s “Unity” But Did Not Address The Claim About the Child.
Pashinyan’s Claim Sparked Fresh Anger Among the Church’s Followers, Including Russian-Amenian Billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, Who Appeared in A Video Saying That the Religious Institution Was Under Attack.
Karapetyan, 59, was Detained June 18, Days After The Clip Was Posted online, and Accussed of Calling for Seizing Power in the Country. Pashinyan Later Said the Billionaire’s Energy Company, Electricity Networks of Armenia, Wold Be Nationalized.
