Political situation in Armenia

Crowds stop arrest of opposition bishop

Police stormed the headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church outside the capital Yerevan on Friday to arrest opposition Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan, reports the AP. They were stopped by his supporters and were allowed to leave with the case unsolved, according to the news agency.

The archbishop is alleged to have called for the overthrow of the government more than a year ago, according to Radio Free Europe.

On Wednesday, another archbishop was arrested on charges of plotting a coup, according to AFP. Another government critic, Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, was arrested last week on charges he denies of calling for the overthrow of the government.

Bishop: “I am not a threat – the threat is the government”

Opposition Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan wanted to be arrested, but his supporters did not let him accompany the police who stormed the church headquarters on Friday, church sources tell Radio Free Europe.

“I am not afraid of anything. The accusations against me are fabricated,” he tells the radio station.

The archbishop is alleged to have called for the overthrow of the government over a year ago.

“I have never been a threat to our country. The real threat lies in the government,” he says, according to AFP.