Armenia’s arrested oligarch confronts new economic allegations

Armenian oligarch Samvel Karapetyan, who is currently in custody, is facing a new set of charges, his legal team has confirmed.

According to Caliber.Az, citing Armenian media, Karapetyan’s lawyer Aram Vardevanyan stated that the defence does not yet fully understand the nature of the new allegation. While it is reportedly economic in character, the specific circumstances remain unclear.

Vardevanyan also emphasised that, despite a court ruling, the prosecution has continued to pursue one of the previous cases. Karapetyan was previously charged with publicly calling for the seizure of power and with money laundering.

Media reports note that in September, a court rejected a motion by the Prosecutor General’s Office, finding insufficient grounds to confirm the suspicions of money laundering. Karapetyan’s lawyers have described the new charge as “a new bar of lawlessness,” highlighting what they see as ongoing legal irregularities.

Karapetyan, the founder of the Tashir Group, has been held in Yerevan since June 18 after he publicly called for the overthrow of Armenia’s government. He accused authorities of conducting an “anti-church campaign” and pledged to stop it “in his own way,” remarks officials deemed a threat to seize power.

In addition to the initial case, prosecutors have launched a separate investigation into alleged large-scale money laundering and tax evasion involving the Tashir Group, resulting in the detention of four company employees.

By Tamilla Hasanova