Arrested Armenian bishop files defamation suit against ruling party member

Revanchist Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, currently under arrest, has launched legal proceedings against Vagharshak Hakobyan, a member of Armenia’s National Assembly from the ruling Civil Contract party.

Galstanyan is seeking financial compensation in the amount of 3 million drams (approximately $7,500) for what he claims are defamatory and insulting remarks made by the lawmaker, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenia media.

The lawsuit marks the latest in a series of legal actions initiated by Galstanyan’s legal team targeting members of the Armenian government and other prominent public figures. As reported by local media, earlier complaints have been filed against Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan, Chief of Staff to the Armenian Prime Minister, Arayik Harutyunyan, Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan, and Public Television host Petros Ghazaryan.

In addition, Galstanyan has pursued legal action against other members of the Civil Contract parliamentary faction, including MPs Hasmik Hakobyan and Vahagn Aleksanyan, along with five additional public and political personalities. Each case alleges public defamation or insult.

To recall, in the early hours of June 25, Armenian law enforcement launched a coordinated series of searches across the country, targeting residences linked to members and supporters of the revanchist “Tavush for the Homeland” movement—also known as the “Holy Struggle.”

Among those targeted was the movement’s leader, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, a cleric-turned-political figure known for his fierce opposition to the Armenian government’s ongoing border delimitation efforts with Azerbaijan. Galstanyan’s apartment was among the locations raided, leading to his subsequent detention under charges of preparing terrorist acts and attempting to seize power.

By Vafa Guliyeva