When Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan described the events of mid-June as a “failed coup d’état by scammers,” it was more than political rhetoric; it was a declaration of strength in the face of what appears to be a serious, though disorganized, challenge to his authority. The arrest of Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, an influential figure tied to the Armenian Apostolic Church, marked the climax of this latest chapter in Armenia’s increasingly volatile political landscape.

According to leaked documents published by the Civic newspaper, the opposition’s plan, allegedly involving former presidents and undisclosed Russian interests, sought to depose Pashinyan and redistribute power among “the people, the church, and other structures.” The vague terminology hints at an attempted return to Armenia’s pre-2018 power architecture, where oligarchs, clergy, and Moscow-linked elites exerted deep influence over state institutions.

At the center of the conspiracy, or at least of the backlash against Pashinyan, stands the Armenian Apostolic Church, an institution........

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