Canadian cleric arrested in Armenia in connection to alleged coup attempt

Raffy Boudjikanian · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 26, 2025 5:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

A salient Canadian cleric of the Armenian Apostolic Church is among much than a twelve radical Armenia's information services person arrested successful transportation to an alleged coup effort this week. 

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who heads the Tavush Diocese successful Armenia's northeast, grabbed nationalist attraction past twelvemonth successful the Southern Caucasus state erstwhile helium began starring a protestation question asking for the resignation of its premier minister, Nikol Pashinyan, and adjacent saying helium would beryllium unfastened to replacing him as Armenia's leader. 

That question picked up steam pursuing onshore concessions made by Armenia to neighbouring Azerbaijan that progressive the handover of Armenian borderline villages.

Galstanyan, a dual Canadian and Armenian citizen, served arsenic primate of the Armenian Diocese of Canada successful Montreal from 2003 to 2013. 

Pashinyan praised the enactment of instrumentality enforcement connected his Facebook page, penning successful Armenian that they prevented a "large and despicable" program to destabilize his authorities done acts of coercion and prehend power.

He besides linked to a connection by Armenia's Investigative Committee, which had carried retired the arrests.

The committee said it had seized explosives and weaponry, and accused Galstanyan's protestation question of planning to behaviour bombings and stage accidents connected large roads to disrupt traffic.

Galstanyan's question has denied the charges, calling them "fiction."

Reached for comment, Global Affairs Canada said it is "aware that a Canadian national was arrested successful Armenia," and added "consular officials are successful interaction with section authorities to stitchery much information." 

The arrests travel aft escalating tensions betwixt the Armenian authorities and the country's Apostolic Church, which has been progressively captious of Pashinyan aft Armenia's nonaccomplishment to Azerbaijan successful a 2020 warfare implicit the past Armenian-controlled enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, and Azerbaijan's subject run successful September 2023 that forced the territory's astir 120,000 taste Armenians to flee, abandoning their homes. 

Last month, Pashinyan accused the caput of the church, Catholicos Karekin II, of secretly fathering a kid contempt a vow of celibacy. An Armenian clergyman past implied successful a societal media station Pashinyan is circumcised and not a existent Christian. Earlier this week, Pashinyan took to Facebook to accidental helium is acceptable to invitation some the catholicos and the clergyman implicit and  "prove otherwise." 

Citing confidentiality, Global Affairs Canada said it cannot disclose further accusation astir its engagement since Galstanyan's arrest.

The Canadian authorities inaugurated its embassy successful Armenia successful October 2023, and has precocious staffed up its beingness determination owed to the struggle betwixt neighbouring Iran and Israel, which has triggered an exodus from the Iran-Armenia border, including immoderate Canadians. 

In November 2022, Galstanyan attended the opening of a smaller Canadian diplomatic office, an honourary consul, arsenic a guest.

In 2020, successful the last days of the warfare against Azerbaijan, Galstanyan made waves connected societal media with a show of an Armenian liturgical hymn astatine a cathedral successful the Nagorno-Karabakh metropolis of Shushi, adjacent arsenic bombs could beryllium heard landing extracurricular the structure.

Former migration curate Jason Kenney had shared the video connected his societal media channels astatine the time, calling Galstanyan a "dear friend" and saying it was touching to see.