YEREVAN — Law enforcement authorities announced on Wednesday the arrests of three individuals accused of attempting to form an armed group to overthrow Armenia’s government.
According to the Investigative Committee, these suspects, along with four others still wanted by the authorities, recruited individuals in Armenia and sent them to Russia for military training in preparation for the coup.
Five of the suspects are citizens of Armenia, while two others are former residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. The plotters recruited several unsuspecting Armenian citizens in 2024, paying them around 220,000 rubles per month to travel to Russia, undergo three months of military training, and then join the military upon returning to Armenia.
A statement released by the committee said the coup plot was foiled after “some of the recruited individuals refused to participate in the training and returned to Armenia” from a clandestine military base in Russia.
The recruits were first taken to Rostov-on-Don, where the masterminds of the plot administered lie detector tests to check for any ties to Armenian law enforcement. The recruits were then taken to a military base called Arbat to undergo close-quarters battle training. Only after this were they informed that the true purpose of the training was to return to Armenia and seize power through a coup.
Some recruits refused to participate and left the group. The coup attempt was ultimately thwarted due to investigative actions by Armenian law enforcement agencies.
No information about such a military base could be found from open sources. However, “Arbat” is known to be the name of a Russian militia composed of ethnic Armenians, reportedly fighting in Ukraine. The Investigative Committee did not confirm any connection between this militia and the alleged coup plot.
Law enforcement authorities have not disclosed the identities of the arrested or fugitive suspects. However, other sources told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that one of the detainees is Serob Gasparyan, the leader of a militant group called Sev Hovaz (Black Panther). Gasparyan has been a vocal critic of the Armenian government.
Andranik Kocharyan, the chairman of the Armenian parliament’s defense and security committee, stated that Armenia’s “internal and external enemies continue to seek ways to regain power,” including through “terrorism.” He did not provide specific names.
Authorities claimed to have thwarted two other coup attempts last year. In September 2023, the National Security Service (NSS) arrested a former prominent politician, Albert Bazeyan, and seven members of an obscure group called Khachakirner (Crusaders). After raiding the group’s offices, authorities confiscated weapons, ammunition, and electronic jamming devices. Bazeyan was moved to house arrest in March and released last month. He denies the coup charges brought against him, and it is unclear if he and the other suspects will face trial.
In November, five additional men were arrested. The NSS described them as members of a separate armed group that planned to seize government buildings and “disrupt the work of state bodies.” Very few details of that case have been made public, but the suspects went on trial in July.
