The cult of duplicity: what is known about the detention of businessman Karapetyan in Armenia

The internal political situation in Armenia has sharply escalated. The security forces first searched the billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, then he was detained. Against this background, Prime Minister Pashinyan called the businessman a scoundrel and promised to nationalize his energy company. Under cover, the head of government also replaced the head of the Armenian National Security Service. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

Businessman Karapetyan was detained in Armenia

The internal political situation in Armenia has sharply escalated. On the evening of June 17, security forces searched the mansion of businessman Samvel Karapetyan in Yerevan. At the same time, several dozen supporters of the entrepreneur gathered at the house. As a result, clashes broke out, protesters blocked the entrance to the building with a truck, and law enforcement officers detained about 45 people.

Karapetyan himself issued a statement in which he promised to fight with all his might for the shrines of the Armenian people. "I will not allow anyone to desecrate our spiritual values," he stressed. The businessman also added that the security forces did not expect such violent protests. According to him, during the raid, the guards broke the arms of two people who participated in the rally at his house.

Further, on the night of June 18, investigative actions continued, by that time the entire Nalbandian Street, on which the residence is located, was blocked. Several hundred sympathizers have already gathered in the vicinity, including numerous journalists and opposition MPs. Information was spreading on social media that security forces were preparing to storm the building.

Towards morning, Samvel Karapetyan left the house on his own and voluntarily got into a police car. "I will stand by the church and our people, no matter how they try to denigrate me, I don't care about them... Everything will be fine. The people will have their say, they will understand that they were wrong," he managed to tell his supporters. Later it became known that the man was taken to the building of the Investigative Committee.

In the morning of June 18, lawyers reported that the detainee was accused of publicly calling for the seizure of power. Liana Gasparyan, a representative of the defense team, stressed that an alternative punishment in the form of forced labor or a fine could be imposed under this article. "The indictment under this article and the attempt to arrest a person indicate that this whole process is illegal," she said.

The opposition stood up for the detainee

Samvel Karapetyan ranks 44th in the ranking of Russian billionaires, his fortune is estimated at $3.2 billion. His detention took place against the background of his criticism of the current Armenian authorities and speeches in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). In one of his recent statements, he stressed that the "small ruling group" had forgotten the thousand-year-old Armenian history, and promised to intervene in the situation if necessary.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan then posted several statuses on his social networks. In one he called Karapetyan a scoundrel, in another he promised that the detainee "will have the taste of the state in his mouth." In addition, the head of government called for the nationalization of the company "Electric Networks of Armenia", which belongs to the businessman. According to Pashinyan, those responsible must deal with this structure by June 21.

Interestingly, against this background, the head of the Armenian government replaced the head of the National Security Service. The Prime Minister himself explained the rotation by concern for the health of the retired Armen Abazyan. According to the head of government, he has worked hard in recent years and deserves a rest. Insider sources report that Abazyan paid the price for refusing to detain Karapetyan, which is allegedly why the raid was conducted not by representatives of the National Security Service, but by employees of the Interior Ministry.

Everything that happened caused a rather serious political crisis. Parliamentary opposition factions came out in defense of Karapetyan. Thus, the Hayastan association stated that Pashinyan was giving illegal instructions to law enforcement agencies. "Against the background of extremely dangerous processes in the region, such manifestations of irresponsibility are destructive and require national unity," the deputies noted.

For the right to believe: billionaire Samvel Karapetyan's house was searched in Armenia

Nikol Pashinyan's conflict with the Armenian Apostolic Church is gaining momentum

The "I have the Honor" faction stressed that the current authorities continue to destroy national identity. "Samvel Karapetyan is not only one of the largest benefactors of the Armenian Apostolic Church, but also a consistent supporter of the Armenia–Artsakh–Diaspora trinity. The attack on him is unacceptable, and we are determined to continue the fight against "nationalism" to the end," the statement said.

The leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church also condemned Karapetyan's detention. A special appeal in this regard says that the incident is "clearly dictated by political motives."

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring the situation. "We will provide the detainee with the necessary assistance so that all his legal rights are respected," said Maria Zakharova, a representative of the Ministry.

What the experts say

Alexander Krylov, Chief Researcher at the Caucasus Sector of the Center for Post-Soviet Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explains what is happening with the beginning of the election campaign.

— Parliamentary elections will be held in Armenia in a year, Nikol Pashinyan is now clearing the political field of all potential rivals. Samvel Karapetyan himself cannot hold any position in the country because of his Russian citizenship, but he is quite capable of playing a consolidating role for the opposition. In this regard, the current authorities decided to remove him as well, and his words in defense of the Church became just an excuse," he notes.

The expert adds that mass protests should not be expected in the country. According to him, after the defeat in the Karabakh war, the Armenian society is demoralized, and the political forces are fragmented.

Nikolai Silaev, a leading researcher at the MGIMO Center for Caucasus and Regional Security Problems, says that the case against Karapetyan looks extremely unprepared.

— The accusation is shod with white threads, it is obvious that the detainee did not make any calls to overthrow the government. In general, recently the Armenian leadership has been behaving very impulsively, nervously, and indulging in boorish attacks against opponents. Apparently, Nikol Pashinyan and his entourage are in some kind of hysteria. They probably feel the precariousness of their position, and they are increasingly afraid of losing power," he argues.