The Armenian politician called Karapetyan's detention an attempt to weaken the influence of the Armenian Apostolic Church

The authorities in Yerevan are trying to weaken the influence of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), because otherwise they will not be able to achieve their own political goals. Politician Arman Abovyan stated this to Izvestia on June 18, commenting on the detention of businessman Samvel Karapetyan.

"To fully understand the situation, it is necessary to simply note that the Armenian Church is not an exclusively religious institution. For Armenians, it has always been a national-preserving institution for 1,700 years. The Armenians had no statehood, but we survived as a nation. <...> The only exceptional role was played by the church," Abovyan said.

According to him, the church is a fundamental and consolidating factor for the people of Armenia, and in the run-up to the elections, discrediting or leveling the importance of the church is crucial for the government. The politician noted that the level of trust of Armenians in the Armenian Apostolic Church is more than 90%.

"Attempts have already been made to squeeze [Karapetyan's] business. We are talking about the nationalization of Armenia's electric networks. Then, again, in parallel, there will be an attempt to discredit all those people and intimidate all those people who stand up for the church," Abovyan added.

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A day earlier, it was reported that Karapetyan was being tried to be detained for speaking out in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It was clarified that Interior Ministry officers arrived at Karapetyan's house immediately after he made a statement in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Later, Armen Feroyan, Karapetyan's lawyer, told Izvestia that his client had been charged with publicly calling for the seizure of power in Armenia. The authorities want to arrest the businessman, the lawyer added.