Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan`s lawyer addresses  letter to RA Prosecutor General 

ArmInfo.  Aram Vardevanyan, the lawyer of the head of the Tashir Group of Companies, Samvel Karapetyan, sent a letter to the Prosecutor General of Armenia, in  which he pointed out the lack of legal grounds for the arrest and  called the detention of his client for two months an act of political  persecution.

In particular, on his Facebook page, the lawyer recalled that his  client was arrested solely for an interview in defense of the  Armenian Apostolic Church. "The absurd criminal case against  businessman Samvel Karapetyan was initiated because of his defense of  the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, expressed in an interview on June  17, as well as because of his criticism of the unconstitutional  encroachments carried out by the current authorities," Vardevanyan  recalled.

He added that this interview was qualified as a call for a violent  seizure of power, which was preceded by the promise of the head of  the executive power to take revenge. "It is already obvious to  everyone that this interview does not contain any call to society,  any signs of violence or signs of a seizure of power. In the current  situation, the Prosecutor's Office of Armenia is endowed not only  with the authority, but also with the duty to eliminate such an  obviously unfounded and illegal arrest," the lawyer noted. 

In this vein, he called on the bodies conducting the criminal  proceedings to carefully consider the interview, which was presented  on June 17, in the context of Samvel Karapetyan's statements made on  July 4 and 14, 2025. He expressed his conviction that in the context  of the current investigation, even the most abstract investigative  version does not stand up to criticism and the law.

The Prime Minister of Armenia launched a campaign against the  Armenian Apostolic Church in May, and all those who disagree with it  are taken into custody for one reason or another. Thus, on June 18,  philanthropist and president of the Tashir Group of Companies Samvel  Karapetyan was detained and then taken into custody for two months  after he expressed support for the Armenian Apostolic Church. He is  accused of publicly calling for the seizure of power in the country.  Karapetyan does not admit guilt. In addition, on June 25, 16  opposition figures and supporters of the Sacred Struggle movement,  led by the movement's leader, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, were  taken into custody. They are accused of attempting to "seize power."  On June 28, the Yerevan Court of First Instance decided to arrest the  head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church,  Archbishop Mikael Ajapakhyan, for two months.  Archbishop Mikael  Ajapahyan is accused of calling for the violent overthrow of the  government. This was preceded by the penetration of law enforcement  officers into the territory of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.  And on July 9, representatives of the Armenian law enforcement  agencies conducted searches in the homes of a number of members of  the ARF "Dashnaktsutyun", including the member of parliament from the  opposition faction "Armenia" Gegham Manukyan. As reported by the  press service of the Investigative Committee of Armenia, the arrests  were carried out in connection with the case of preparing a  "terrorist act".