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Armenia issues arrest warrant for prominent cleric: Live Updates Prominent Armenian cleric arrested on coup charges: As it happened
(16 days later)
Law enforcement has raided a local seat of the national church that has protested territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Law enforcement raided the local seat of the national church, which had protested territorial concessions to Azerbaijan
Armenian police have raided the seat of the country’s Apostolic Church, the country’s largest, in the city of Vagharshapat, leading to major clashes between clerics, church members, and law enforcement. 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.
Security forces have attempted to detain Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan on suspicion of attempting to stage a coup. According to the country’s Investigative Committee, Adjapahyan – who was protected by protesters – remains at large. The cleric himself, however, said that he was ready to go with officers while denying any wrongdoing. 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.
The country’s government has been at odds with the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) for months, as it emerged as the main driver behind the mass protests against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s agreement to return several border villages to Azerbaijan. Though pro-Church protesters had managed to block earlier attempts to detain Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan, the cleric chose to walk to the Investigative Committee (IC) building and turn himself in. Earlier, authorities had tried to detain Adjapahyan on suspicion of attempting to stage a coup—accusations the cleric has denied.
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. A number of pro-Church protesters have been detained, and the IC has announced that it has launched criminal proceedings into obstruction of justice.
As the stand-off escalated, Armenian authorities on Wednesday arrested Bagrat Galstanyan, a high-profile cleric and a key protest leader, on terrorism charges. 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.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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