A prominent Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) cleric has been arrested on coup charges after he voluntarily surrendered to the authorities, as the conflict between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the opposition deepens.
Police raided the seat of the country’s Apostolic Church, the largest in Armenia, in the city of Vagharshapat, leading to major clashes between clerics, church members, and law enforcement.
Though pro-Church protesters had managed to block earlier attempts to detain Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, the cleric chose to walk to the Investigative Committee (IC) building and turn himself in. Earlier, authorities had tried to detain Ajapahyan on suspicion of attempting to stage a coup—accusations the cleric has denied.
A number of pro-Church protesters have been detained, and the IC has announced that it has launched criminal proceedings into obstruction of justice.
The country’s government has been at odds with the AAC for months, as it emerged as the main driver behind mass protests against Pashinyan’s agreement to hand over several border villages to Azerbaijan, with which Armenia has border disputes.
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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28 June 2025
Adjapahyan has been transferred from the courthouse to a detention facility, Sputnik Armenia has reported.
The Armenian Prosecutor’s Office quoted Adjapahyan’s interview from February, which was also mentioned in the indictment, as saying: “Now, the respect reserved for me is like this, who listens to me now, if anyone listened to me, the revolution should have happened long ago. I only know three ways to change power... This is an election, supposedly, or, or supposedly an election, or an election, the second is a coup, the third is a popular uprising.”
He then allegedly added: “How many times have I said openly that a military coup is needed?”
As for the June interview, he was quoted as saying: “I never called for a takeover. I called for a coup… I told the security forces to save this country, save it from this madman, they are not saving it, they are equally guilty of all this.”
The decision to charge Adjapahyan is based, among other things, “on his public calls to seize power” during interviews on June 21, the Armenian Prosecutor’s Office has said.
It added that the archbishop “reaffirmed his words… about the need to carry out a coup and assume power by means not provided for by the Constitution, with the help of high-ranking military personnel.”
As of early morning, a crowd of protesters has remained outside the courthouse, which is being heavily guarded by police, according to footage from the scene.
Adjapahyan has ten days to appeal the arrest, his lawyer has said, adding that the defense will do so once the full ruling is handed down by the judge.
The court’s decision to arrest Adjapahyan is “blatantly illegal and unfounded,” his lawyers have said, adding that the archbishop is barred from receiving visitors, except close relatives and legal support.
A court has ordered Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan to be held in custody for two months, Sputnik Armenia reports.
The decision followed an all-night hearing during which prosecutors accused the cleric of calling for a coup. According to his defense team, the charge stems from an interview Ajapahyan gave during mass anti-government protests in 2024.
27 June 2025
The hearing resumed on Saturday, with Adjapahyan’s supporters rallying outside the courthouse.
Adjapahyan’s lawyer, Varazdat Arutynyan, told reporters that his arrest would amount to “political prosecution.”
The court has postponed the hearing after Adjapahyan’s defense team asked for extra time to examine the case documents, which they have just been given, Sputnik Armenia has reported.
The hearing will take place at 2:30am local time.
The verdict in Adjapahyan’s case will be issued by the same judge who ruled in favor of Bagrat Galstanyan’s arrest earlier this week, Sputnik Armenia reports, citing one of the archbishop’s lawyers.
The accusations against Adjapahyan are clearly unfounded, his lawyer has said.
“This entire process of attempted arrest and interrogation was accompanied by Nikol Pashinyan’s incorrect and misleading comments during the preliminary investigation,” he wrote in a statement published on social media.
“It is obvious that we are dealing with another illegal step in the government’s anti-church crackdown,” as manifested in the raids on the seat of the Apostolic Church, he added.
Adjapahyan has been detained on suspicion of publicly advocating for the overthrow of the ruling government, a crime punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Adjapahyan has asked for his supporters to not nominate him for prime minister.
“I am fully satisfied with my service as a clergyman, so I ask that my name not be used in the list of candidates for the post of prime minister. God bless you,” the cleric said in a written statement published by his lawyer.
Armenian opposition groups have called for Prime Minister Pashinyan to be impeached and for Adjapahyan to be nominated for his position.
The archbishop has been delivered to court, Sputnik Armenia reports.
Adjapahyan said he would like to use his right to a single phone call while in detention to call the Armenian prime minister, when asked whom he would like to contact.
“I would like to inform Nikol Pashinyan that I have been detained,” he told his lawyer, according to Sputnik Armenia.
Pashinyan earlier accused the cleric of “violating a biblical commandment” by not immediately complying with the authorities.
Adjapahyan is being moved from the IC building to a local court, Armenia Today has reported.
Adjapahyan has been detained on suspicion of advocating to overthrow the government, the cleric's lawyer has said, according to RIA Novosti.
A Yerevan court will consider the issue of his arrest within 24 hours, he added.
Both the clergy and believers support Archbishop Adjapahyan, the AAC said, adding that it will defend its rights by all legal means.
“We expect a fair decision from the court.”
AAC clergy and sympathetic protesters are praying outside of the Investigative Committee building where Archbishop Adjapahyan is being held.
“It is obvious from the rhetoric of both the country's prime minister and various representatives of the government that this planned action is another display of their anti-church policy,” the AAC announced in a statement.
Today will go down in history as “a day of national shame” for the shameful actions taken by the Armenian authorities against the Armenian Apostolic Church, the AAC said in a statement cited by local news.
“We strongly condemn the initiated anti-church actions and assess them as a disrespect for the Armenian spiritual center,” the Church added, calling the events “a grave insult to the spiritual feelings of believers.”
Armenian police are still out in force in front of the Investigative Committee building, hours after Adjapahyan was led inside, Armenia Today reports.
Moscow is closely following the situation in Armenia, including recent developments involving the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS.
“We are genuinely interested in preserving stability, upholding the rule of law, and supporting the sustainable development of friendly, brotherly Armenia,” the ministry stated.
The ministry also emphasized the importance of “adhering to democratic values, respecting the sentiments of the faithful, and honoring the principles of religious freedom declared by Armenia’s leadership.”
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.
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.
At least 20 protesters have been detained in front of the building, Sputnik Armenia has reported.
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
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.
Police have been arresting Adjapahyan’s supporters as they march alongside the archbishop, according to footage shared by Ruptly.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A crowd of protestors has blocked the path to Adjapahyan, who was heading to turn himself in to the authorities, according to footage on social media.
Adjapahyan has agreed to report to the Investigative Committee, his lawyer has said. According to Sputnik, he is being accompanied by several other members of the clergy.
The Armenian authorities have given Adjapahyan two hours to surrender voluntarily, Armenia Today has reported, citing sources. The outlet added that the cleric was warned that the cathedral would be raided again if he fails to show up.
An AAC spokesman has reitereated the church’s opposition to the raid on Etchmiadzin Cathedral and law enforcement attempts to detain Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee has also said it intends to prosecute protesters who it says were obstructing law enforcement during the unrest at Etchmiadzin Cathedral.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee has formally announced charges against Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan and initiated criminal prosecution over allegations that he made “public calls for seizing power and forcibly overthrowing the constitutional order.”
Law enforcement has been ordered to withdraw from the cathedral’s premises, according to local media.
A single SUV, apparently belonging to law enforcement and with no passengers, has been seen driving out of the cathedral, with the way being cleared by protesters and members of the clergy, according to footage from Ruptly.
Almost 80% of Armenians have denounced the arrest of Karapetyan, with almost 67% viewing him as a political prisoner, according to a poll by MPG/Gallup International Association cited by Armenia Today. Only around 12% are in favor of the arrest, with another 6% undecided, the survey suggests.
A large crowd of protesters interspersed with law enforcement has gathered outside the cathedral gates, with people heard clapping and whistling, according to footage shared by Ruptly.
Adjapahyan has said that he has no intention of hiding from police while denying any wrongdoing. “Everything that is happening disregards the law. I am not a threat to the state, the threat emanates from the government. But the people who follow the will of a madman threaten violence... I will go with them, and the clergy will follow me,” he added, as quoted by Sputnik.
Footage released by Ruptly shows the standoff at the gates of the cathedral, with protesters and officers shoving each other.
Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, now in Armenian custody, has criticized officials in Yerevan for straining relations with Russia and seeking rapprochement with the West.
“Surrounded by hostile states and showing exceptional political shortsightedness, they rushed to get rid of Russia,” Karapetyan said in a statement released by his legal team. “They subjected the country to numerous trials just to spite their main ally.”
“They are loudly appealing to the European Union, not realizing that we are not wanted there,” he added.
Catholicos Garegin II, the supreme head of the AAC, has arrived at the scene, with a video showing him slowly walking through the crowd of protesters. He earlier said he would discuss the next moves with the clergy.
Officers have blocked one of the key routes to Vagharshapat in Yerevan to prevent the protesters from flowing into Etchmiadzin Cathedral, local media reports.
Armenian police have detained Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan despite resistance from protesters, according to local media.
Videos on social media show a heated standoff between the clergymen and church members on one side and police on the other at Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Vagharshapat, 20km from the capital, Yerevan. Law enforcement officers are seen attempting to enter the cathedral, but are blocked by a large crowd.