A Yerevan court today extended the pre-trial detention of Archbishop Bagrat Galstyan by two months.

Armenia’s National Security Service took Galstyan into custody last June when headed the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Tavush Diocese.

The clergyman is charged with fomenting public disorder and planning to seize power in Armenia during a protest movement he led in 2024 opposing the Armenian government’s plan to handover border regions to Azerbaijan.

On May 9, 2024, Galstyan went as far as issuing the following ultimatum to Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan – "You have one hour to resign!"

The clergyman’s defense team will make an opening statement at the next court hearing scheduled for April 30.