Samvel Karapetyan Unexpectedly Transferred to Another Prison

Businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan has been transferred to the 'Armavir' correctional facility. This decision comes as a surprise to his legal team.

Liana Gasparyan, a member of Karapetyan's legal team, told Aysor.am that he was expected to be moved to the 'Kentron' correctional institution, but instead was unexpectedly transferred to the Armavir prison. 'I cannot say why such a decision was made, but it was unexpected,' she mentioned.

The attorney added that one of her colleagues visited Karapetyan last night, while another is currently with him, and she is preparing a complaint to present to the Court of Appeals.

It is noteworthy that Samvel Karapetyan has been detained for two months under a decision made by Judge Artak Karapetyan of the Yerevan General Jurisdiction Criminal Court, granting the request of the Investigative Committee. According to the Investigative Committee, during an interview given to the media, Karapetyan made public calls aimed at seizing power in an unconstitutional manner and assuming the authority of the Armenian government.

After a statement supporting the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, the authorities initiated proceedings against Karapetyan. Initially, representatives of the ruling party, guided by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, began making speeches in the National Assembly, and then law enforcement went to Karapetyan's residence to detain him. Around 3 AM on June 17, Karapetyan was transported to a police station under the escort of the deputy chief of police and then taken to the Investigative Committee. He made a brief statement during a conversation with journalists, stating, 'I don’t care about them or their electricity company.'

Yesterday morning, it was also revealed that Nikol Pashinyan had dismissed the Director of the National Security Service, Armen Abazyan. The reason for the dismissal was Abazyan's refusal to follow Pashinyan's directive and create a spectacle in front of Karapetyan's house.