On January 16, Armenia’s Court of Appeals granted the Prosecutor General’s appeal and overturned the decision to impose house arrest on prominent businessman Samvel Karapetyan, replacing it with detention. According to RFE/RL, Karapetyan was already in custody by that evening.

The court was simultaneously reviewing the prosecution’s request to extend Karapetyan’s detention.

The owner of Tashir Group had been under house arrest for 17 days. At the end of December, his lawyers requested his release, and on December 30, a judge granted house arrest with a bail of 4 billion AMD.

Prosecutors demanded that the decision allowing house arrest (based on the defense's petition) be annulled, and that the 4 billion AMD be returned. The Court of Appeals fully upheld both demands.

The same day, a new hearing was held to determine whether Karapetyan’s detention should be extended.

On the morning of January 17, after a 14-hour court session, it was announced that the court had rejected the prosecutor’s new request to detain Karapetyan, choosing instead to reinstate house arrest. The update was shared by his lawyer, Aram Vardevanyan, via Facebook.

“Fourteen hours in court with our legal team. The absurd intensity of political persecution. The request to detain Samvel Karapetyan was rejected, and house arrest was applied instead. This is yet another intensive form of restraint. Notably, the restriction on Samvel Karapetyan’s public speech was also lifted. Freedom to all political prisoners,” Vardevanyan wrote.

Narek Karapetyan, coordinator of the Mer Dzevov (Our Way) movement, had posted on Facebook the previous day: “Tomorrow, Samvel Karapetyan will be at home.”

“A struggle aims to have a peaceful and strong homeland. Samvel Karapetyan will be home tomorrow,” he wrote.

The well-known philanthropist and businessman had originally been imprisoned on June 18, 2025. On December 30, that was replaced by house arrest and additional restrictions.

On January 5, the Prosecutor’s Office filed an appeal seeking to reinstate Karapetyan’s detention. The Court of Appeals accepted the case on January 12, scheduling the decision for January 16.

Karatapetyan became a suspect after publicly announcing an initiative to support the Armenian Apostolic Church. Two months ago, Investigative Committee head Artur Poghosyan told reporters: “The charges are substantiated.”