Pashinyan’s office to opposition: You cannot blackmail the state

Deputy Chief of Staff to the Armenian Prime Minister, Taron Chakhoyan, has issued a sharp response to opposition plans to hold a rally in Yerevan.

Chakhoyan wrote on Facebook, addressing the supporters of detained businessman Samvel Karapetyan, dubbed “Tashir Samo”.

“I wish good luck to the formalists of Tashir Samo, who threaten to take to the streets — the streets are open for them,” he said. 

“Even from the example of their boss, they have failed to understand that one cannot speak to the state in the language of blackmail. If you want to rally, go ahead — dance the  khorovod too, if you wish.”

Chakhoyan was responding to opposition activists who have reportedly warned that unless Karapetyan is released, they will stage mass demonstrations in the capital.

Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian-Armenian billionaire and one of Armenia’s most prominent businessmen, has long maintained extensive investments in the country, with assets reportedly comparable to a significant share of the national budget. Based in Moscow since the 1990s, he has financed several major projects in Armenia.

In June 2025, Karapetyan entered Armenia’s political scene amid growing tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church. On June 17, he publicly expressed support for Catholicos Karekin II, saying, “If politicians fail, we will participate in our own way.”

Shortly after, authorities searched his Yerevan residence and charged him under Article 422 of the Criminal Code for allegedly inciting the seizure of power.

Karapetyan was detained on June 18, and his pre-trial custody has since been extended several times, despite an appeals court ruling the initial detention unlawful. His supporters have described the case as politically motivated, while government representatives have maintained that the charges are based on legal grounds.

In July, Karapetyan announced plans to establish an opposition movement ahead of the 2026 elections. Since then, additional charges have been filed, including tax evasion, fraud, and money laundering. The latest, issued on October 13, concerns large-scale laundering through alleged use of official influence.

By Aghakazim Guliyev