MOSCOW 

Agents of Armenia's National Security Service on Friday arrived at the residence of Catholicos of All Armenians Garigin II to arrest Archbishop Mikael Adjaphanyan, two days after authorities claimed to have thwarted an alleged coup plot to overthrow the government.

Law enforcement officials visited the territory of Holy Etchmiadzin — the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), according to lawyer Migran Poghosyan, who was present there, according to the Hraparak newspaper.

Attorney Poghosyan said law enforcement agents inquired about Ajapakhyan, head of the Shirak Diocese of the AAC, who was scheduled to attend a meeting later in the day.

Earlier, criminal proceedings were initiated against Ajapakhyan on charges of public calls for the usurpation of power, violation of territorial integrity, renunciation of sovereignty, or violent overthrow of constitutional order. The maximum penalty for this offense is a five-year imprisonment.

Church leader Garigin II has called for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation since Armenia lost a war to Azerbaijan in 2020.

Last year, mass protests led by Bagrat Galstanyan, an archbishop and leader of the opposition movement Holy Struggle, had also called on Pashinyan to resign over the country’s defeat against Azerbaijan. He was detained on Wednesday along with many others.