Artistic director and principal conductor of the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, Sergey Smbatyan, stated on Facebook that businessman Samvel Karapetyan is not only a philanthropist, but a creator who believes in the power of culture.

“Beyond being a philanthropist, Samvel Karapetyan is a builder—someone who believes in the power of culture and its role in preserving national identity. I’ve witnessed his deep dedication and care through dozens of projects,” Smbatyan wrote.

On the night of June 18, Karapetyan left his Yerevan residence with law enforcement officials. He was later interrogated by the Investigative Committee and detained for two months on charges of making public calls to seize government powers.

Earlier that day, Karapetyan had voiced support for the Armenian Apostolic Church, stating: “I stand with our Church and our people. No matter how much they try to smear us, no electric grid... I don’t care about them or their grid. Everything will be fine; the people will speak, and they’ll realize their mistake.”

In response, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote: “Why have the depraved ‘clergy’ and their depraved ‘philanthropists’ become active? No worries—we’ll silence them again. For good.” He later added that Electric Networks of Armenia must be quickly nationalized.