LIVE: Crowd gathers outside Yerevan's Investigative Department in support of opposition activists

A large crowd has gathered outside the Yerevan City Investigative Department building to show support for Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and other opposition figures arrested over an alleged coup plot.

Panorama.am is providing live coverage from the scene.

Since early Wednesday morning, law enforcement authorities have launched a sweeping series of searches across Yerevan and Armenia’s regions, targeting the homes of opposition activists.

According to the Investigative Committee, more than 90 searches have been conducted by its investigators in cooperation with officers from the National Security Service (NSS) and the Interior Ministry.

Based on motions filed by investigators and approved by supervising prosecutors, criminal proceedings have been initiated against 16 individuals. As of now, 14 of them have been arrested.