In Armenia, a significant political upheaval has unfolded with the arrest of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a key figure leading the opposition group 'Holy Struggle'. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced the arrest as a preemptive measure against an alleged coup plot aimed at his government. Galstanyan, along with 13 others, is accused of orchestrating a conspiracy involving the recruitment of approximately 1,000 supporters, including former military personnel, to destabilize the current administration. The situation is exacerbated by long-standing tensions between Pashinyan's government and the Armenian Apostolic Church, particularly following the country's loss in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict against Azerbaijan in 2020.
The political crisis has intensified as Pashinyan faces mounting criticism for his concessions to Azerbaijan and his efforts to normalize relations with Turkey. These actions have ignited backlash from nationalist factions within Armenia, who view such measures as a betrayal. The arrests of Galstanyan and other opposition leaders reflect the government's determination to maintain control amid growing unrest. The ongoing struggle for power illustrates the fragile state of Armenian politics, caught between internal dissent and external pressures. As the situation develops, the ramifications of these events will likely shape the future of governance and civil society in Armenia.
