Case opened against Karapetyan for calling to seize government authority

PanARMENIAN.Net - A criminal case has been initiated against businessman Samvel Karapetyan for a public call to seize the powers of the Armenian government.

According to Panorama.am , the Investigative Committee of Armenia launched a case under Article 422, Part 2 of the Criminal Code. It alleges that during a media interview, Karapetyan made public statements advocating the unconstitutional usurpation of government powers.

On June 18, 2025, prosecutors overseeing the legality of the criminal process filed a motion for public prosecution, which was approved the same day. Karapetyan was arrested and brought before the investigating authority, which submitted a motion to the court to apply pre-trial detention.

Kima Avdalyan, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee, confirmed that Judge Artak Karapetyan of the Yerevan General Jurisdiction Criminal Court will examine the detention request. He was appointed in November 2024, reports Pastinfo.

The Investigative Committee also stated that there are no other suspects in the case. Karapetyan denies the charges, and his defense considers the prosecution unlawful.

Under Article 422, Part 2, the law punishes public calls to seize power, violate territorial integrity, or overthrow the constitutional order by force when disseminated through mass media, public performances, or communication technologies. Penalties range from a fine of 20 to 50 times the minimum wage, 150 to 270 hours of public work, 1 to 3 years of restricted liberty, 1 to 2 months of short-term imprisonment, or 2 to 5 years in prison.

In an interview with News.am , Karapetyan responded to recent statements by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, which he claimed were directed against religious institutions and the Church: “What opinion can I have when a small group, forgetting Armenian history and the millennia of the Armenian Church, attacks our Church and people?”

“As I’ve always stood with our Church and our people, I will be directly involved. If politicians can’t manage, we will take part in our own way,” he said.