Lawyers in case of `Sacred Struggle` movement presented details of  so-called new evidence attributed to Archbishop Bagrat

ArmInfo. Lawyers in the case of 18 supporters of the "Sacred Struggle" movement presented new evidence allegedly found after searches of the residence of the movement's leader, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, last June.

During a press conference in Yerevan, lawyer Hovhannes Khudoyan said  that a document titled "Coup Plan" was found during the search, which  investigators attribute to Galstanyan. "However, it should be obvious  to any law enforcement officer or investigator that irrefutable  evidence is required before making such claims. Specifically, the  only appropriate way to make such claims is to conduct a handwriting  examination," Khudoyan noted.

However, as the lawyer stated, such an examination was not ordered,  nor was any attempt even made. "But even someone who is not an  expert, when comparing Bagrat Galstanyan's actual notes and this  document, will understand that they are not the same handwriting,"  the lawyer emphasized.

Following this, Galstanyan's defense presented a video recording of  the searches during which this document was allegedly found, and  lawyer Tatevik Sogoyan showed a printout of the "plan" itself, noting  that the document was written in English. "It's noteworthy that it  mentions, among other things, geopolitical actors such as Russia,  Belarus, Iran, China, Georgia, India, and Spain-that is, all these  countries were supposedly to be involved in these processes. Further  down, it states that it is supposedly necessary to infiltrate an  enemy country and take 150-250 hostages," the lawyer said, presenting  the information contained in the so-called plan.

She stated that they intend to publish this document so that the  public can compare the handwriting and see the differences and  inconsistencies in its content. "It's not even clear how this  document ended up in Bagrat Galstanyan's residence. The text was  written on a piece of notebook paper," Soghoyan added.  Furthermore,  the lawyer noted that the criminal case file contains no criminal  procedural analysis regarding how this document relates to the  alleged charges. Soghoyan acknowledged that Bagrat Galstanyan is  proficient in English, having earned a master's degree from a  university in England. However, she noted that in his daily life, he  preferred to write exclusively in his native Armenian. The lawyers  also noted that the "plan" was perfectly written, without any  corrections, which, according to them, also raises many questions.

It should be noted that in May 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan launched a widespread anti-church campaign, demanding the  resignation of Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II. As part of  this campaign, several clergy members were detained. On June 25, 18  opposition figures and supporters of the "Sacred Struggle" movement,  led by the movement's leader, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, were  arrested. They are accused of attempting to "seize power" and  "terrorism." "Recordings of conversations between movement members"  are cited as evidence of their guilt.