Armenian court extends Samvel Karapetyan's house arrest by two months

Armenia's Anti-Corruption Court has extended the house arrest of businessman and opposition figure Samvel Karapetyan by another two months, ruling that the procedural risks cited in previous decisions remain in place.

Judge Vahe Dolmazyan announced the decision during a court hearing broadcast by local television channels, TASS reports.

"The court finds that the period of house arrest should be extended. The court considers that the house arrest should be prolonged for two months, and the risks that the court took into account when issuing its decision on April 17 still exist. By the end of this period, the court will be able to make an objective assessment of those risks," Dolmazyan said.

The judge added that the preventive measure would remain unchanged, including restrictions prohibiting Karapetyan from meeting certain individuals previously identified by the court, while allowing him to communicate with others.

According to the ruling, the decision may be appealed within 10 days.

Samvel Karapetyan is a Russian-Armenian billionaire, founder of the Tashir Group, and one of Armenia's wealthiest businessmen. Widely known for his close ties to the Armenian Apostolic Church, he became embroiled in a high-profile dispute with the Armenian government in 2025.

The conflict began after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan sharply criticised the Armenian Apostolic Church and Catholicos Garegin II. In response, Karapetyan publicly defended the Church, stating that if political leaders failed to protect it, "we will intervene in our own way." Armenian authorities interpreted the remarks as a call for the unconstitutional seizure of power.

Karapetyan was arrested on June 18, 2025, and charged with publicly calling for the usurpation of state power under Article 422 of Armenia's Criminal Code. He has denied the allegations, insisting that his comments were political in nature and taken out of context, while his supporters have described the case as politically motivated. Investigators later added economic-related charges, which Karapetyan and his legal team also rejected.

A court initially ordered his pre-trial detention before replacing it with house arrest and bail in late December 2025. Since then, Armenia's Anti-Corruption Court has repeatedly extended the measure, including in April and July 2026, citing ongoing procedural risks.