Karapetyan Held as Political Hostage, Says Amsterdam

“The results of the last court session clearly demonstrated that the case against Samvel Karapetyan is absolutely disconnected from the rule of law and justice,” stated Karapetyan's international lawyer, Robert Amsterdam.

“The Anti-Corruption Court partially granted the investigative body’s request and extended Mr. Karapetyan's detention period by 30 days. This is both a victory and further evidence of gross violations of legal norms. The court dismissed the economically-oriented charges of 'Tax Evasion' and 'Money Laundering' introduced by the investigation, noting that they did not even meet the threshold of reasonable suspicion. Our continuous assertion that these instances are aimed solely at amplifying political retribution has been confirmed.

A political tool. The extension of detention was exclusively based on the political accusation of 'calling for the seizure of power.' This once again demonstrates that the Armenian authorities are holding Mr. Karapetyan as a political hostage to protect the Armenian Apostolic Church and to present a political challenge.

Legal absurdity. In a country that claims its commitment to democracy, it is disgraceful to keep a civilian in custody based on such weak, fictitious charges. The Armenian government must understand that we will not remain silent. Our fight will be daily until the immediate and unconditional release of Samvel Karapetyan,” concluded Amsterdam.