Samvel Karapetyan's Passport File Lists FSB Information Center as Workplace, Reports The Insider

The Insider magazine has published a controversial article regarding the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia. The publication reports on a debate that took place between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin during Pashinyan's visit to Moscow in April of this year. Putin expressed the need to allow pro-Russian forces to participate in the elections, to which Pashinyan countered that the Armenian Constitution prohibits foreign citizens from participating in parliamentary elections, especially the appointment of a prime minister who holds a foreign passport.

Although Putin did not name anyone, it was widely understood that he was referring to billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, who founded the "Strong Armenia" electoral bloc and intends to assume the position of prime minister if victorious. However, he is currently in custody for public calls to seize power and money laundering.

Karapetyan was born in 1965 in the Armenian town of Tashir and began his business career selling enameled cookware. In the early 1990s, he moved to Kaluga and acquired Russian citizenship. Under the "Tashir" brand, stores, restaurants, shopping centers, and a brick factory began to appear in the city. He later moved to Moscow and progressively became one of the top ten largest developers in the capital.

Additionally, "Tashir" is considered a major contractor for Gazprom, and Karapetyan himself owns a 71.29% stake in "Fora Bank" (which was included in the U.S. sanctions list by the Treasury Department in November 2024). Currently, Karapetyan's personal fortune is estimated at $4.1 billion, and he has promised to invest several million into promoting the "Strong Armenia" campaign.

Last June, Prime Minister Pashinyan demanded the resignation of the leader of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Garegin II, when rumors emerged regarding an alleged child he had, which violates the vow of celibacy. Karapetyan sharply defended the Catholicos and pledged to fight against the 'ungodly' government with all his might. Shortly after, his home was searched, and he was arrested.

“Samvel has never interfered in politics; his job has been to establish connections with officials and security forces and make money. However, he has never refused the Kremlin's delicate financial requests. Apparently, he was pressured and forced to create the "Strong Armenia" bloc in opposition to Pashinyan,” an acquaintance of the billionaire revealed to The Insider.

In 1999, Karapetyan received a foreign passport in Kaluga, and according to data available online, there is a note in the "workplace" column of his passport file made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs indicating the FSB Information Center. This note means that when checking the citizen, it is necessary to first consult the Federal Security Service (FSB). As explained by an operational officer from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, this notation typically signifies foreigners or secret informants operating under the control of the FSB.

Funds were reportedly arriving in Yerevan from a special fund of the Staraya Ploshchad; however, it is likely that the resources intended for the “Tsarukyan Alliance” were embezzled specifically within the presidential administration since he is capable of financing his own campaign.