BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 25. Participants and leaders of a movement called 'Holy Struggle' planned to carry out terrorist acts and actions aimed at seizing power in Armenia, a statement from the country's investigative committee said, Trend reports.
According to the statement, Vazgen Galstanyan, after failing over several months to achieve the goal set by the movement he leads and initiated—the seizure of power in Armenia by legal means permitted by the Armenian Constitution—since November 2024 decided to pursue this goal by unconstitutional methods. To achieve this, he conspired with several members of the movement, acting as part of a group, acquiring the necessary means and tools to commit terrorist acts and seize power, and deliberately created other conditions, thus preparing for a violent takeover of power.
During regular discussions, Vazgen Galstanyan and other members of the criminal group decided to form 200–250 strike groups, each consisting of up to 25 people, mostly former military personnel and police officers with military training. Each group was given a clear task that had to be accomplished at all costs, with the participants unaware of the tasks and actions of other groups and not interacting with them.
“The criminal group planned that after forming the strike groups and obtaining the necessary resources, Galstanyan would call for a gathering at the government building of Armenia on a certain occasion. This gathering was intended to distract authorities while the strike groups would occupy predetermined positions and not join the rally. The criminal group clearly planned that the movement’s ultimate goal should be accomplished not by the rally participants, but by the strike groups by carrying out their assigned tasks within 24–36 hours, thereby causing chaos and loss of control in Armenian settlements,” the statement said.
According to the investigative committee, to accomplish their criminal goals of seizing power in Armenia, Galstanyan and other members of the criminal group planned terrorist acts—explosions, shootings at buildings, creating threats of mass casualties, causing severe or moderate harm to citizens’ health, significant material damage, cutting electricity and internet by damaging cables and equipment, causing mass traffic accidents through deliberate collisions, arson of public facilities, massive traffic light breakdowns, destruction of trolleybus electrical lines, and more—to provoke panic, fear, and chaos among the population.
“At the same time, they planned actions to hinder government response, including blocking the deployment of internal troops, stopping police vehicles, cyberattacks on government websites and electronic control systems of government and other state institutions to disrupt state authority and force constitutionally acting authorities to relinquish their powers.
Since January 2025, members of the criminal group began preparations—they have already recruited over 1,000 people through movement participants, acquired a map of Yerevan for planning operations, collected data on locations of energy supply facilities and traffic lights, ordered and purchased thousands of explosive and firearm materials, metal spikes (“stars”) to damage tires and block transport, and continued recruiting members for the strike groups. During meetings with group leaders, they stressed the necessity to complete the assigned tasks at any cost, reinforcing vigilance, readiness, and determination," the statement also noted.
The statement pointed out that as part of preparing for these criminal acts, since January 2025, the criminal group has already recruited more than 1,000 people among movement participants and supporters.
“Galstanyan and other members of the criminal group were unable to start carrying out these actions—which constitute the objective elements of crimes within their intent: terrorism and seizure of power, usurping the powers of the government of Armenia and the National Assembly by unconstitutional means—due to their exposure by the National Security Service of Armenia during the preparation phase.
Urgent investigative and other procedural actions are ongoing within the criminal case opened based on this incident.
Within the criminal case, using permissible criminal procedural law measures, the necessary steps will be taken to criminally assess the actions of all participants in the criminal group and apply equivalent procedural coercion measures against them. The investigative committee also calls on the public not to succumb to provocations by the criminal group and to demonstrate strictly lawful behavior,” the statement concluded.
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