Armenia detains key ally of Russian oligarch Samvel Karapetyan

One of the closest associates of Russian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, Alik Aleksanyan, has been detained in Armenia and charged with large-scale money laundering and voter bribery.

Investigators are also examining allegations of fictitious employment and the use of funds for political activities, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

According to Armenia’s Investigative Committee, around 500 people have been questioned as part of the preliminary investigation. Prosecutors allege that between October 2025 and March 2026, Aleksanyan, acting as the founder and director of the public organisation “Our Way – Protection of National Values,” received approximately $4.4 million and €230,000 from the Tashir Foundation in the form of “gifts” and “loans.”

The investigation claims that the funds were of criminal origin and may have been laundered through the fictitious employment of about 1,400 individuals. According to investigators, those individuals were mobilised to participate in rallies and events organised by the Strong Armenia Party, a political party founded by Karapetyan.

By Jeyhun Aghazada