After hearing the scope of the prosecution’s evidence at the Shengavit District Court of Yerevan, the leader of the “Holy Struggle” movement, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, described the case as “sloppy from beginning to end,” Sputnik Armenia reports.
He said that he could give a precise legal rebuttal to every statement made by public prosecutors Hayk Hovhannisyan and Vahan Harutyunyan, but chose not to enter that arena.
“This case is sloppy in its entirety. If I were doing it, I would have done it better and properly. A seven‑month case could have been handled more clearly and directly, knowing who needs to answer for what. If my goal had been to punish these people, I would have imposed punishment as well,” he said.
According to the archbishop, the 35‑volume case contains no evidentiary basis.
“This case has no expert examinations, no handwriting analysis, nothing at all. Therefore, whatever is presented here, honorable court, do not expect it to be accepted at any stage. I insist that the results of the seven‑month investigation be presented by our respected prosecutors at least on a single page,” Galstanyan added.
The prosecution presented the volume of evidence that the court is to examine at a later stage. For now, the evidentiary base is limited to unexamined data on visits and phone calls, as well as items seized during searches. The prosecutor said that, to save time, he would not detail the facts, instead referring to case pages and witness testimonies.
Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan was arrested on the night of June 26, 2025. On August 21, by a decision of Judge Karen Farkhoyan, his detention was extended by three months, and on November 13 it was extended for another three months.
According to the Investigative Committee of Armenia, participants and leaders of the “Holy Struggle” movement planned terrorist acts and actions aimed at seizing power in Armenia.
