The ‘Strong Armenia’ Party Issues a Statement

The ‘Strong Armenia’ party has issued a statement:

“Is the Prime Minister of Armenia happy that during his rule, Samvel Karapetyan's house arrest is being extended for the fourth time, preventing the benefactor from even visiting his father’s grave in the village of Lerhavot of Lori? One of the richest Armenians in the world, 60-year-old benefactor, businessman, and now also a candidate for prime minister, Samvel Karapetyan's house arrest has been extended by the Anti-Corruption Court for an additional 3 months. If the decision remains unchanged, Karapetyan will not be able to personally attend the congress of his political force and will be under house arrest on the day of the parliamentary elections, having to interact with his team under restrictions.

Karapetyan has been allowed to make public speeches and give interviews. During a 5-hour court session, the prosecuting attorney argued that Karapetyan could obstruct the investigation and influence people using his position. ‘Strong Armenia’ continues to state that Karapetyan is their candidate for prime minister. Karapetyan himself stated in the previous court session that he has started the process of renouncing his citizenship in Russia and Cyprus. He highly values the potential of the political force he leads in the National Assembly elections.

Karapetyan reacted to the government’s claims that he is being directed by Russia, emphasizing that he is guided by the Armenian people, while Russia only directs Pashinyan. While the court was reviewing the businessman’s preventive measure, a protest was held by his party members and supporters demanding his release. A scuffle began when the police decided to push citizens back to clear the way. Later, the police took participants of the protest into custody, resulting in the arrest of 17 individuals. The condition of one young person detained in a police vehicle worsened. The supporters of ‘Strong Armenia’ did not rule out the possibility that there were government provocateurs among Karapetyan’s supporters,” the statement reads.