Bagrat Galstanyan

Last updated: May 29, 2026

Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan emerged in spring 2025 as the most prominent face of Armenian opposition to the Pashinyan government, leading the “Holy Struggle” movement that drew tens of thousands of demonstrators to the streets of Yerevan. His demands centered on the reversal of territorial concessions made to Azerbaijan and what he described as the government’s systematic dismantling of Armenian state institutions and national identity.

In June 2025, Galstanyan was arrested on charges of plotting a coup against the government. His detention was widely condemned by opposition groups, the Armenian diaspora , and international human rights observers as politically motivated. Groong has covered his rise as an opposition figure, the movement he led, and the legal proceedings against him, treating his case as a key indicator of the state of civil liberties and the church-state confrontation in Armenia.

Groong episodes that include this tag

Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Bagrat Galstanyan.

Joel Veldkamp - Armenia’s Prayer Breakfast and the Crackdown on the Church | Ep 490, Nov 27, 2025 [EP490]

Posted on Thursday, Nov 27, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Armenian Church, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, Artsakh Blockade, Russia, Azerbaijan, China, Genocide

Guest:

Topics:

  • Clergy Arrests in Armenia
  • Church Under Pressure
  • Prayer Breakfast Controversy
  • Western Silence on Repression
  • CSI’s Findings in Yerevan

Episode 490 | Recorded: November 25, 2025

#ArmenianChurch #ReligiousFreedom #ClergyArrests #ChristianSolidarityInternational #HumanRightsInArmenia

Arthur Khachatryan - Euronest, Aliyev Transit Move, Gyumri Mayor Arrest, Pashinyan vs. Church | Ep 481, Oct 26, 2025 [EP481]

Posted on Friday, Oct 31, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Ukraine, NATO | Series: wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Euronest session takeaways
  • Aliyev’s transit move and TRIPP
  • Gyumri mayor arrest fallout
  • Pashinyan’s push to control the Church

Episode 481 | Recorded: October 29, 2025

Arthur Khachatryan - Euronest, Aliyev Transit Move, Gyumri Mayor Arrest, Pashinyan vs. Church | Ep 481, Oct 26, 2025 [EP481]

Posted on Friday, Oct 31, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, European Union, Ukraine, NATO

Guest:

Topics:

  • Euronest session takeaways
  • Aliyev’s transit move and TRIPP
  • Gyumri mayor arrest fallout
  • Pashinyan’s push to control the Church

Episode 481 | Recorded: October 29, 2025

Benyamin Poghosyan - Ajapahyan Sentenced, Moldova, EPC, Peace Act, Dismantling the Armenian Military | Ep 477, Oct 5, 2025 [EP477]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 8, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, European Union, Turkey, China, Economy | Series: video, wir

Guest:

Topics:

  • Ajapahyan Sentenced: 2 Years in Jail for speaking out!
  • Moldova Election Lessons
  • EPC in Copenhagen, WSF in Warsaw
  • PEACE Act politics
  • Dismantling the Armenian Military

Episode 477 | Recorded: October 6, 2025

Benyamin Poghosyan - Ajapahyan Sentenced, Moldova, EPC, Peace Act, Dismantling the Armenian Military | Ep 477, Oct 5, 2025 [EP477]

Posted on Wednesday, Oct 8, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, Armenian Church, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, European Union, Turkey, China, Economy

Guest:

Topics:

  • Ajapahyan Sentenced: 2 Years in Jail for speaking out!
  • Moldova Election Lessons
  • EPC in Copenhagen, WSF in Warsaw
  • PEACE Act politics
  • Dismantling the Armenian Military

Episode 477 | Recorded: October 6, 2025

Hrant Mikaelian - War on Iran, Russia on TRIPP, New MPG Poll in Armenia, Economy | Ep 471, Sep 7, 2025 [EP471]

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, Poll, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Georgia, Israel, Genocide, China, Ukraine, India | Series: wir, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • War in Iran, Chapter 2?
  • Russia’s Stance on TRIPP
  • New MPG Poll in Armenia
  • Armenian Economy in H1/2025

Episode 471 | Recorded: September 8, 2025

Hrant Mikaelian - War on Iran, Russia on TRIPP, New MPG Poll in Armenia, Economy | Ep 471, Sep 7, 2025 [EP471]

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Iran, Poll, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Armenian Church, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Georgia, Israel, Genocide, China, Ukraine, India

Guest:

Topics:

  • War in Iran, Chapter 2?
  • Russia’s Stance on TRIPP
  • New MPG Poll in Armenia
  • Armenian Economy in H1/2025

Episode 471 | Recorded: September 8, 2025

Robert Amsterdam - In Our Own Way: The Samvel Karapetyan Case | Ep 468, Sep 4, 2025 [EP468]

Posted on Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Armenian Church, Russia, Ukraine, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, NATO | Series: cog, video

Guest:

Topics:

  • Arrest of Samvel Karapetyan
  • Pre-trial detention practices
  • Lawfare and double standards
  • Armenia’s global consequences

Episode 468 | Recorded: September 4, 2025

Robert Amsterdam - In Our Own Way: The Samvel Karapetyan Case | Ep 468, Sep 4, 2025 [EP468]

Posted on Thursday, Sep 4, 2025 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Armenian Church, Russia, Ukraine, Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, NATO

Guest:

Topics:

  • Arrest of Samvel Karapetyan
  • Pre-trial detention practices
  • Lawfare and double standards
  • Armenia’s global consequences

Episode 468 | Recorded: September 4, 2025