The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western United States Central Committee strongly condemns the Armenian government’s ongoing campaign of repression targeting the Armenian Apostolic Church, patriotic civic organizations, and the opposition movement as a whole. The arrest of at least fourteen activists affiliated with the ARF, including members of the ARF Student Association in Armenia, along with Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan on June 25 under the pretext of an alleged “violent coup attempt,” marks a dangerous new escalation in the government’s coordinated assault on foundational Armenian institutions.
These politically motivated detentions follow years of peaceful public protest and mounting discontent over the regime’s destructive policies and betrayal of national interests. The government’s claims, based on purported wiretaps, legally owned firearms, and vague timelines, are unconvincing and appear designed to discredit and dismantle the growing movement for national salvation. The fact that these so-called charges date back to the summer of 2024, and are only now being pursued amid rising public unrest, casts further doubt on their legitimacy.
The situation escalated on June 27, when National Security Service operatives attempted to arrest Archbishop Mikael Ajapahian at Etchmiadzin. They were met with spontaneous resistance from clergy and parishioners who physically blocked the operation, leading to tense scuffles. Hundreds of security forces had surrounded the Mother See, only to withdraw after about 30 minutes, later returning the same day when Ajapahian voluntarily surrendered for questioning. His prosecution under charges of calling for violent overthrow—with alleged statements dating back to February 2024—mirrors the same delayed and politicized pattern as the Galstanyan case.
Beyond the arrests, the broader pattern is unmistakable: deliberate efforts to marginalize and slander the Armenian Church, particularly its spiritual leaders, while suppressing the voices of patriotic opposition forces such as the ARF. These actions are not isolated incidents but represent a strategic effort to hollow out the Armenian nation from within by weakening its most enduring institutions, those which have historically safeguarded the spirit, sovereignty, and survival of the Armenian people.
For years, the ARF has been the target of a deliberate campaign by the Pashinyan regime to silence and dismantle it. From illegal raids on party offices and false accusations against its members to media defamation, the government has made clear that it sees the ARF not as a political rival, but as an obstacle to its foreign-driven agenda. The repression of our movement has intensified in direct proportion to the government’s betrayal of Artsakh, its concessions to Azerbaijan, and its subservience to outside powers. Rather than engage in democratic dialogue, the regime has sought to neutralize the ARF’s presence and influence through intimidation, slander, and brute force.
This campaign of repression has extended beyond Armenia’s borders. Operatives aligned with Pashinyan and his political project have worked systematically to undermine ARF-affiliated institutions in the diaspora. They have sought to discredit and divide the Armenian-American community, manipulate public discourse, and disrupt organizations that remain committed to national values. These efforts represent a direct attack on the global Armenian network that has supported the homeland for over a century. The targeting of the ARF and its affiliated structures is not just political opportunism, but part of a broader effort to weaken Armenian collective strength by dismantling the institutions that unify our people across generations and continents.
Now, that same repressive apparatus has been turned against the Armenian Apostolic Church. By targeting the Church’s hierarchy, maligning its Catholicos, and arresting two of its most respected archbishops under absurd pretexts, the regime is attempting to finish what it began: the dismantling of all moral, national, and institutional resistance to its agenda. The Church and the ARF, two historic pillars of Armenian nationhood, are now under coordinated attack by a government that no longer even pretends to serve the Armenian people.
These tactics mirror the longstanding objectives of Ankara and Baku, who for decades have worked to discredit Armenian claims, erase our historical memory, and fragment our unity. Today, these same goals are being advanced not by foreign enemies, but by the current regime in Yerevan.
We demand the immediate release of Archbishop Galstanyan, Archbishop Ajapahian, and all those wrongfully detained, an end to politically motivated prosecutions, and the restoration of constitutional rights and protections for all Armenian citizens, especially those who stand in defense of national dignity, sovereignty, and identity.
The ARF Western United States stands in full solidarity with the Armenian people and all those resisting authoritarianism. We call upon all segments of our society, in Armenia and the diaspora, to unite against these dangerous trends and reaffirm our collective commitment to a free, independent, and just Armenian homeland.
Armenian Revolutionary Federation, Western United States of America
Central Committee
June 27, 2025
