Armenia claims to have foiled coup attempt amid tensions with Russia

Armenia claims to have foiled a attempted coup d’étatThe Investigative Committee of the Caucasian country has reported this Wednesday that it has prevented an attempted coup d’état, organized by a group of Armenian citizens and former residents of Nagorno Karabakha separatist enclave that dissolved after an Azerbaijani military operation a year ago that caused a mass exodus of its population towards Armenia.

According to investigators, seven identified people and a number of other people still unidentified, created “conditions for usurping power in the Republic of Armenia”including the use of violence.

These citizens, three of whom were arrested and four others declared wanted, “They left for the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don” and from there they were transferred to another location, where they were subjected to “preliminary checks, including a polygraph, to determine their personal characteristics and political opinions, and their relationship with the law enforcement agencies in Armenia.”

After these procedures, the recruits were sent to a military base for combat training.

“They were informed that the objective of the exercises is return to the Republic of Armenia and dismiss the current governmentthus achieving the cleansing and salvation of Armenia,” the official note states.

Researchers are taking “active steps” to identify all members of the criminal groupthe statement added.

The news comes at a time of New tensions between Armenia and Russiaa country that Yerevan has repeatedly blamed for failing to act against security threats created by neighbouring Azerbaijan despite bilateral friendship agreements.