Armenian opposition figure criticizes Pashinyan’s UN address

Strong Armenia bloc leader Samvel Karapetyan said he believed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan used his address to the UN General Assembly primarily to appeal to his supporters.

Karapetyan made the remarks in response to a question from Armenia Today about Pashinyan’s decision to address domestic political issues in his UN speech, including allegations that the opposition had bribed voters.

“It seems to me that he was speaking from the UN podium to his voters. In my view, the lives of his voters were extended by 50 years after that speech,” Karapetyan said.

Samvel Karapetyan is a Russian-Armenian billionaire businessman and the founder of the Strong Armenia political movement/party. He is the head of the Strong Armenia bloc and was nominated as its candidate for prime minister ahead of Armenia’s 2026 parliamentary election.

It should be recalled that Karapetyan is currently on trial in Armenia on charges including money laundering and alleged calls for the seizure of power, which he denies. He has been under house arrest since January 2026.

By Tamilla Hasanova