Mother See denounces political pressure in archbishop's case

PanARMENIAN.Net - On June 25, during a session of the Supreme Spiritual Council chaired by the Catholicos of All Armenians at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, a statement was issued expressing deep concern over law enforcement actions and serious allegations against Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and his associates.

The statement declared that the Mother See will pursue a just legal process “by all lawful means,” and urged authorities to refrain from politicizing the case. It emphasized the importance of upholding the Armenian Constitution, respecting the presumption of innocence, and avoiding political exploitation.

“The legal process raises concerns due to the fact that from the very outset, the Prime Minister of Armenia and various ruling party representatives have attempted to influence law enforcement through politically motivated public commentary,” the statement read.

It also condemned attempts to artificially associate the case with the Church and misuse the name of the Mother See, describing such efforts as part of a broader anti-Church campaign allegedly initiated by the authorities.

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the “Holy Struggle” movement, has been detained for two months. The Investigative Committee has submitted arrest motions for 16 people related to the case. The court approved nine detentions. One motion has been reviewed, with a decision expected on June 26. The remaining hearings are also set for that date.

On the morning of June 25, law enforcement began searches at addresses linked to “Holy Struggle” supporters. The Investigative Committee stated that members and leaders of the movement had planned terrorist acts and an illegal seizure of power in Armenia.

On June 24, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shared a civic.am article titled “The Opposition’s Coup Plan” on Facebook, commenting: “This process will go down in history as the ‘traitors’ failed coup.’”