The Arrest of the Spiritual Leader: Large-Scale Operation Against Opposition Movement

27.06.2025 | Crime News

Armenian authorities carried out large-scale arrests against the leadership of the opposition movement "Sacred Struggle", accusing its members of preparing a coup and terrorist actions.

Снимка от Der Myron, Wikimedia Commons, под CC BY-SA 3.0

The investigative authorities in Armenia exposed a large-scale operation against the opposition group "Sacred Struggle", during which a total of 15 of its active members were detained. Among those arrested is the movement's leader – Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, whom the authorities accuse of serious crimes.

Official sources report extremely serious evidence against the detainees. During the searches, investigators discovered a significant amount of potentially dangerous items that could be used to disrupt communal infrastructures – specifically electrical networks and communication cables.

On June 26, a local court imposed the most severe preventive measure – detention, for Archbishop Galstanyan. The spiritual leader's lawyer, Aram Orbelyan, told the media that the investigative materials contain audio recordings discussing a potential impeachment of the current political leadership.

The official charge qualifies the actions of the detainees as preparation for a terrorist act and incitement to mass unrest, which seriously calls into question the legitimacy of their opposition activities.