Latest news with #Ajapahyan
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Scuffle in Armenian Parliament: Lawmakers trade blows during session; watch chaotic scenes unfold
Fight inside Armenia's Parliament A brawl broke out in Armenia's National Assembly on Tuesday following a speech by an opposition lawmaker, who called for ousting President Nikol Pashinyan, as political tensions flared in the European nation. Artur Sargsyan, who represents the opposition bloc Armenia, had finished a speech in which he said a case against him had been decided "ahead of time," and tried to leave the chamber. Other lawmakers then moved to stop him, and security guards rushed in to intervene. "Armenia has become a 'bastion of dictatorship' where 'everything is decided in advance, written down, approved',' the lawmaker said in his speech before the fight, according to The Associated Press. Lawmakers later voted to strip Sargsyan of his parliamentary immunity, opening him up to prosecution. He turned himself in to the country's Investigative Committee, which had accused him and 15 others of "plotting to overthrow the government." Pashinyan's government is accused of cracking down on political opponents who he alleges are trying to engineer a "coup." Various members of the opposition, including the influential Armenian Apostolic Church, have been leading demonstrations urging the president's ouster after he agreed to territorial concessions in the country's decades-long battle with neighbouring Azerbaijan for control of regions on which both rivals claim territorial jurisdiction. Archbishops Mikael Ajapahyan and Bagrat Galstanyan, both senior church leaders, are in pre-trial detention after being accused of taking part in the alleged plot. On June 28, church supporters gathered at the church headquarters outside the capital, Yerevan, to prevent Ajapahyan's arrest. He later turned himself in to the authorities. Ajapahyan and Galstanyan are members of the opposition group "Sacred Struggle," which played a central role in anti-Pashinyan demonstrations last year. Although the territorial concessions were the movement's core issue, it has since expanded to a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018.
OC Media
30-06-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Bucking precedent, Armenia orders Archbishop Ajapahyan into custody over coup calls
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member A Yerevan court has ordered a two-month pre-trial detention for Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan, accused of making public calls for usurping power. Previously, however, in 2024, the authorities refused to launch a case against Ajapahyan after he made a similar statement. On Friday morning, the Prosecutor's Office reported that the decision to initiate public criminal prosecution against Ajapahyan was made on 26 June. Previously, the Prosecutor's Office told Armenian state news agency Armenpress on 26 June, that the proceedings were launched on 17 June. In its Friday statement, the Prosecutor's Office further noted that the case was based on Ajapahyan's public calls to seize power made in two separate interviews on 21 June 2025 and 3 February 2024. They particularly noted the repetition of the calls, claiming it indicated that the statements 'are not emotional or careless expressions, but a conscious action that took place continuously, consistently, using mass media, information and communication technologies'. The authorities also noted that Ajapahyan's statements 'appear in a new light' in that context of the arrests of members of the Holy Struggle movement in connection to a coup attempt allegedly organised by the movement. On 25 June, Armenian authorities raided the homes of dozens of opposition figures, including Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, following which he and 14 others were accused of plotting 'terrorist attacks and a coup d'état' and remanded to pre-trial detention for two months. Advertisement Shortly afterwards, the authorities published an alleged coup plan that was dated for execution in 2024. They additionally published audio recordings, which claimed were of the Holy Struggle movement's leaders and members discussing the coup. Individuals in the recordings could be heard insulting Armenians and discussing deadly attacks as part of the plot. On Friday, supporters of the Armenian church prevented the authorities' arrest of Ajapahyan at Etchmiadzin Cathedral. However, later that evening, Ajapahyan willingly surrendered himself. 'Political motives in the prosecution' Following Ajapahyan's arrest, Daniel Ioannisyan, who worked for the local civil rights group Union of Informed Citizens, published a report he filed in April 2024 regarding Ajapahyan's call for a military coup in September 2023. Ioannisyan also included the response of the Prosecutor's Office at the time, which rejected to launch a case on the basis that Ajapahyan's interview contained no 'action that could reasonably be given a preliminary legal assessment of compliance with the act provided for' in the criminal code. 'The criminal prosecution of Ajapahyan should have taken place at the time when he committed that act, not now, when the authorities have started going after some certain clergymen', Ioannisyan wrote, questioning the independence of Armenia's judicial bodies. Ioannisyan also stated the Union of Informed Citizens would transfer both his letter and the authorities' response to Ajapahyan's defenders, 'let them use them to substantiate the presence of political motives in the prosecution'. Pashinyan's 'personal vendetta' On Sunday, over 20 civil society organisations and individuals expressed their 'deep concern about the recent events taking place in Armenia' in a joint statement. They underscored that the actions of law enforcement agencies, 'especially in sensitive situations, must be lawful, justified by the reasonable need to prevent or investigate alleged crimes, and proportionate'. The statement additionally condemned the actions of law enforcement officers on Friday on the grounds of the Armenian church, noting that 'judging by public statements, [their actions] were directly ordered by the highest level of executive power [Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan]'. Prior to that, on Saturday, the Armenian Church 'strongly condemn[ed]' the court decision regarding Ajapahyan, seeing it as 'a direct result of the anti-Church policies pursued' by the authorities. They also claimed that the verdict was 'rendered under political direction and pressure'. The Armenian Church urged that the actions taken against Ajapahyan 'constitute, in the classical sense, a case of political persecution and a manifestation of a personal vendetta' by Pashinyan. Opposition hints at impeachment On Friday, during the attempt to arrest Ajapahyan, Armenian opposition figure Edmon Marukyan declared that he was ready to withdraw his candidacy for prime minister in case Pashinyan was impeached, proposing that Ajapahyan take his place. Marukyan was the candidate for two former members of the ruling Civil Contract faction, Hovik Aghazaryan and Hakob Aslanyan. Marukyan stated that the two MPs were instead ready to nominate Ajapahyan, before calling on 'all opposition and ruling faction MPs to join this initiative'. The two opposition factions I have Honour and Armenia Alliance also expressed their readiness to join the process. However, Ajapahyan rejected the offer. In a handwritten statement, Ajapahyan said that he was 'completely satisfied with my service as a clergyman, so I ask that my name not be mentioned among the candidates for prime minister'. Pashinyan's post taken down on Facebook On Saturday, reported that Facebook had blocked Pashinyan's insulting posts about Catholicos Karekin II and other clergy members. The article attached a screenshot with a Facebook notification that a post had been taken down and added that Pashinyan's post was no longer available to view. According to this was perhaps the reason behind Pashinyan's decision to stop using insults. Pashinyan's offer came on Saturday, when he suggested to 'reach a public consensus that, starting from a given date [...] stop using profanities and engaging in hybrid targeting in the social-political-public arena, and shift to exclusively civilised and respectful debates, guided by a reliance on verified facts'. He proposed 1 July to be the starting point for this consensus, adding that for five days he would refrain from using inappropriate language and would monitor the public's response to his proposal. Since late May, Pashinyan, his wife Anna Hakobyan, and other members of his Civil Contract party have regularly attacked the Church and the clergy, offering various accusations and using insults. Tensions between Pashinyan and the Church reached an all-time high after Pashinyan claimed in late May that churches had become 'storerooms' and that clergymen were breaking their vows of celibacy. Pashinyan additionally accused Karekin II of having a child.
Hamilton Spectator
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Armenia arrests another top cleric over an alleged coup plot
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia has arrested a second prominent cleric on charges of plotting against the government, the latest escalation in a clampdown on outspoken critics of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. A court in Yerevan on Saturday ordered Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan to be held in pre-trial detention for two months, his lawyer Ara Zohrabyan said. He said the decision was 'obviously illegal and unfounded' saying his client will appeal. State prosecutors accuse Ajapahyan of publicly calling for an armed ouster of the government. On Friday, security forces faced off with crowds at the headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church outside Yerevan as they tried to arrest Ajapahyan. Videos circulating on social media showed clergymen jostling with police, while bells of a nearby cathedral rang out. After Armenia's National Security Service urged Ajapahyan to appear before authorities, local media showed him entering the building of Armenia's Investigative Committee in his gray robes. 'I have never hidden and I am not going to hide now,' Ajapahyan told reporters on Friday. 'I say that what is happening now is lawlessness. I have never been and am not a threat to this country, the main threat is in the government.' Last year, tens of thousands of demonstrators called for Pashinyan's ouster after Armenia agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan and to normalize relations between the neighbors and bitter rivals. On Wednesday, authorities arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan , who leads the Sacred Struggle opposition movement. He was accused of plotting a sabotage campaign to overthrow Pashinyan, charges that his lawyer rejected as 'fiction.' Members of Sacred Struggle, which has bitterly opposed the handover of the border villages, accused the government of cracking down on political rights. Although the territorial concession was the movement's core issue, it has expanded to a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018. Another vocal critic of Pashinyan, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, was arrested last week on charges of calling for the government's overthrow, which he denied. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in territorial disputes since the early 1990s, as various parts of the Soviet Union pressed for independence from Moscow. After the USSR collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatist forces backed by the Armenian military won control of Azerbaijan's region of Karabakh and nearby territories. In 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured broad swaths of territory that were held for nearly three decades by Armenian forces. A lightning military campaign in September 2023 saw Azerbaijan fully reclaim control of Karabakh, and Armenia later handed over the border villages. Pashinyan has recently sought to normalize relations with Azerbaijan. Last week, he also visited Azerbaijan's top ally , Turkey, to mend a historic rift. Turkey and Armenia have a more than century-old dispute over the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in massacres, deportations and forced marches that began in 1915 in Ottoman Turkey. Historians widely view the event as genocide. Turkey vehemently rejects the label, conceding that many died in that era but insisting the death toll is inflated and resulted from civil unrest. Attempts to impeach Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018, were unsuccessful. Although territorial concessions were a core issue for Sacred Struggle, it has expanded to a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan as the Apostolic Church's relationship with the government deteriorated. On June 8, Pashinyan called for church leader Karekin II to resign after accusing him of fathering a child despite a vow of celibacy. The church released a statement at the time accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia's 'spiritual unity' but did not address the claim about the child. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
San Francisco Chronicle
28-06-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Armenia arrests another top cleric over an alleged coup plot
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia has arrested a second prominent cleric on charges of plotting against the government, the latest escalation in a clampdown on outspoken critics of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. A court in Yerevan on Saturday ordered Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan to be held in pre-trial detention for two months, his lawyer Ara Zohrabyan said. He said the decision was 'obviously illegal and unfounded' saying his client will appeal. On Friday, security forces faced off with crowds at the headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church outside Yerevan as they tried to arrest Ajapahyan. Videos circulating on social media showed clergymen jostling with police, while bells of a nearby cathedral rang out. After Armenia's National Security Service urged Ajapahyan to appear before authorities, local media showed him entering the building of Armenia's Investigative Committee in his gray robes. 'I have never hidden and I am not going to hide now,' Ajapahyan told reporters on Friday. 'I say that what is happening now is lawlessness. I have never been and am not a threat to this country, the main threat is in the government.' Last year, tens of thousands of demonstrators called for Pashinyan's ouster after Armenia agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan and to normalize relations between the neighbors and bitter rivals. On Wednesday, authorities arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who leads the Sacred Struggle opposition movement. He was accused of plotting a sabotage campaign to overthrow Pashinyan, charges that his lawyer rejected as 'fiction.' Members of Sacred Struggle, which has bitterly opposed the handover of the border villages, accused the government of cracking down on political rights. Although the territorial concession was the movement's core issue, it has expanded to a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018. Another vocal critic of Pashinyan, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, was arrested last week on charges of calling for the government's overthrow, which he denied. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in territorial disputes since the early 1990s, as various parts of the Soviet Union pressed for independence from Moscow. After the USSR collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatist forces backed by the Armenian military won control of Azerbaijan's region of Karabakh and nearby territories. In 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured broad swaths of territory that were held for nearly three decades by Armenian forces. A lightning military campaign in September 2023 saw Azerbaijan fully reclaim control of Karabakh, and Armenia later handed over the border villages. Pashinyan has recently sought to normalize relations with Azerbaijan. Last week, he also visited Azerbaijan's top ally, Turkey, to mend a historic rift. Turkey and Armenia have a more than century-old dispute over the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in massacres, deportations and forced marches that began in 1915 in Ottoman Turkey. Historians widely view the event as genocide. Turkey vehemently rejects the label, conceding that many died in that era but insisting the death toll is inflated and resulted from civil unrest. Attempts to impeach Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018, were unsuccessful. Although territorial concessions were a core issue for Sacred Struggle, it has expanded to a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan as the Apostolic Church's relationship with the government deteriorated. On June 8, Pashinyan called for church leader Karekin II to resign after accusing him of fathering a child despite a vow of celibacy. The church released a statement at the time accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia's 'spiritual unity' but did not address the claim about the child.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Armenia arrests another top cleric over an alleged coup plot
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia has arrested a second prominent cleric on charges of plotting against the government, the latest escalation in a clampdown on outspoken critics of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. A court in Yerevan on Saturday ordered Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan to be held in pre-trial detention for two months, his lawyer Ara Zohrabyan said. He said the decision was 'obviously illegal and unfounded' saying his client will appeal. State prosecutors accuse Ajapahyan of publicly calling for an armed ouster of the government. On Friday, security forces faced off with crowds at the headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church outside Yerevan as they tried to arrest Ajapahyan. Videos circulating on social media showed clergymen jostling with police, while bells of a nearby cathedral rang out. After Armenia's National Security Service urged Ajapahyan to appear before authorities, local media showed him entering the building of Armenia's Investigative Committee in his gray robes. 'I have never hidden and I am not going to hide now,' Ajapahyan told reporters on Friday. 'I say that what is happening now is lawlessness. I have never been and am not a threat to this country, the main threat is in the government.' Last year, tens of thousands of demonstrators called for Pashinyan's ouster after Armenia agreed to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan and to normalize relations between the neighbors and bitter rivals. On Wednesday, authorities arrested Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who leads the Sacred Struggle opposition movement. He was accused of plotting a sabotage campaign to overthrow Pashinyan, charges that his lawyer rejected as 'fiction.' Members of Sacred Struggle, which has bitterly opposed the handover of the border villages, accused the government of cracking down on political rights. Although the territorial concession was the movement's core issue, it has expanded to a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018. Another vocal critic of Pashinyan, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, was arrested last week on charges of calling for the government's overthrow, which he denied. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in territorial disputes since the early 1990s, as various parts of the Soviet Union pressed for independence from Moscow. After the USSR collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatist forces backed by the Armenian military won control of Azerbaijan's region of Karabakh and nearby territories. In 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured broad swaths of territory that were held for nearly three decades by Armenian forces. A lightning military campaign in September 2023 saw Azerbaijan fully reclaim control of Karabakh, and Armenia later handed over the border villages. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Pashinyan has recently sought to normalize relations with Azerbaijan. Last week, he also visited Azerbaijan's top ally, Turkey, to mend a historic rift. Turkey and Armenia have a more than century-old dispute over the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians in massacres, deportations and forced marches that began in 1915 in Ottoman Turkey. Historians widely view the event as genocide. Turkey vehemently rejects the label, conceding that many died in that era but insisting the death toll is inflated and resulted from civil unrest. Attempts to impeach Pashinyan, who came to power in 2018, were unsuccessful. Although territorial concessions were a core issue for Sacred Struggle, it has expanded to a wide array of complaints about Pashinyan as the Apostolic Church's relationship with the government deteriorated. On June 8, Pashinyan called for church leader Karekin II to resign after accusing him of fathering a child despite a vow of celibacy. The church released a statement at the time accusing Pashinyan of undermining Armenia's 'spiritual unity' but did not address the claim about the child.
