Armenian security forces sweep Etchmiadzin amid coup plot claims

Armenian security forces have launched extensive searches at the homes of opposition supporters in the city of Etchmiadzin, as political tensions escalate following government claims of an attempted coup.

The head of the "Etchmiadzin" faction in the city’s Council of Elders, Sevak Khachatryan, announced on social media that searches were being carried out in the homes of residents aligned with the opposition, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media sources.

He noted that, following the investigative actions, several individuals were taken to the local police station for questioning.

The searches are also reportedly targeting members of the Armenian Pan-National Unity Party, a political group founded by Migran Poghosyan, the former chief of the Compulsory Enforcement Service, who is currently a fugitive from Armenian justice.

These developments come on the heels of a statement by Armenia’s Investigative Committee announcing the disruption of an alleged plot to seize power through unconstitutional means.

On June 24, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took to Facebook to claim that law enforcement agencies had successfully foiled what he described as a “massive and despicable” scheme orchestrated by entrenched “criminal-oligarchic and clerical” circles. He accused these forces of attempting to destabilise the country and overthrow the government.

“Law enforcement agencies have prevented a massive and despicable plan by criminal-oligarchic-clerical circles aimed at destabilising the Republic of Armenia and seizing power,” Pashinyan wrote, without elaborating on the individuals or organisations involved.

The sweeping police actions come amid mounting political pressure on Pashinyan’s administration. Opposition figures, along with influential voices within the Armenian Apostolic Church, have been openly critical of the Prime Minister’s policies, particularly his shift away from traditional ties with Russia and his push to normalise relations with Türkiye and Azerbaijan.

By Tamilla Hasanova