From prison, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, leader of the Sacred Struggle movement, stated that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan "may defeat me or others, but he will not and cannot defeat the Church."
“It’s impossible,” the archbishop wrote. “Everything is built on the rock of faith, and no one has ever overcome it. Evil, hear me clearly: whatever you try, your time is almost up.”
In a separate post, he reflected on marking the 30th anniversary of his ordination in prison, something he “could never have imagined, even in the worst dream.”
“Today marks 30 years since my ordination… in one of the prisons of ‘free and independent’ Armenia. I never imagined reaching this point. Yet under the current catastrophe—catastrophic in every sense—I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
Since 1988, as a 17-year-old, I have fought for a free, independent, sovereign Armenia with a liberated Artsakh, walking proudly among nations.
In 1995, standing before the Holy Altar of Echmiadzin, anointed in the name of martyr Archbishop Bagrat Vardazaryan, I vowed to serve the glory of God and the well-being of my beloved people, whom I’ve loved more than life.”
He added that truth is “violated, justice robbed, love shattered, faith wounded, hope broken.”
“Yet our will is not dead. Our unshakable faith and dreams to rebuild, revive, and heal Mother Armenia cannot be destroyed. Sin will melt, demons flee, crimes erase, chains break, wounds heal, and God's mighty hand will reign.”
“Glory to You, Lord, for everything. I would rather walk the path of captivity and the cross with You than stand with the deniers. I have given myself to You without regret—my God, my King, my Life, my Shelter, my Hope, my Trust, Jesus Christ, God of all.
Yes, I unwaveringly believe in and live by the victory of Spiritual Armenia, the Temple, and the Tricolor. And that victory has no alternative.”
On the morning of June 25, law enforcement launched searches targeting supporters of the Sacred Struggle movement. The Investigative Committee alleged that the movement’s members and leaders were planning terrorist acts and a coup. Archbishop Galstanyan and 14 others were later detained for two months.
