Karapetyan search called 'black mark' by Russian MP

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian State Duma member Rosa Chemeris, from the “New People” faction and part of the Committee on International Affairs, described the search of businessman Samvel Karapetyan’s home as a “black mark” sent by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, reports RIA Novosti.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow is closely monitoring the situation and is ready to provide necessary support.

Chemeris criticized the actions against Karapetyan, calling them a signal of panic from a leader fearful of political rivals. “Searches in the home of a well-known businessman engaged in legal and charitable activity are a kind of black mark from Pashinyan—a leader terrified of political competition,” she said. “He seems to have forgotten how he once replaced Serzh Sargsyan with endless promises of a better future for Armenia. People quickly tire of empty rhetoric, especially when deceived by those in power.”

She argued that Karapetyan’s show of support for the Church was merely a pretext for the searches. “Unlike Pashinyan, Karapetyan has long-earned support in Armenia across all social groups. He builds schools and kindergartens and invests heavily in infrastructure. He improves lives with actions, not words. That clearly unsettles this ambitious prime minister,” Chemeris said.

Editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group and RT, Margarita Simonyan, also criticized Pashinyan for his remarks about Karapetyan. “Efendi Pashinyan, who pretends to care about all Armenians, is now trying to arrest a true protector—Samvel Karapetyan—just for meeting Catholicos Garegin II,” she wrote on Telegram.

Ivan Melnikov, deputy head of the Russian branch of the International Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, has officially appealed to Armenian Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan.

He urged action to prevent potential unlawful conduct by Armenian law enforcement and to protect fundamental civil and religious rights, including freedom of expression, according to Sputnik Armenia.

Melnikov emphasized that those responsible for organizing illegal detention attempts must be held accountable if violations are confirmed. Citing international agreements, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, Melnikov stated that religiously motivated persecution, restrictions on speech and belief, and unauthorized searches of private residences are strictly prohibited.

On the night of June 18, businessman Samvel Karapetyan left his residence in Yerevan with law enforcement. Hours earlier, he had expressed public support for the Armenian Apostolic Church.

“I stand with our Church and our people. No matter how much they try to tarnish it—neither the power grid nor those behind it matter to me. Everything will be fine, and the people will speak up. They will realize their mistake,” Karapetyan said.

In response, Pashinyan wrote: “Why have the whorish ‘clergy’ and their whorish ‘benefactors’ become active again? No matter—we’ll silence them again. For good this time.” He later added that the power grid must be quickly nationalized.