Russian-Armenian tycoon transferred to Yerevan-Kentron penitentiary

Russian-Armenian business magnate Samvel Karapetyan has been transferred to the Yerevan-Kentron Penitentiary Institution.

The information was confirmed by Nona Navikyan, spokesperson for the Penitentiary Service of the Armenian Ministry of Justice, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

"The decision was made based on operational necessity," Navikyan stated.

Karapetyan, the founder and head of the Tashir Group, was arrested on June 18 and placed in pre-trial detention for two months on charges of making public calls to seize power. The previous day, June 17, Karapetyan was detained in Yerevan, Armenia, following a raid on his residence by Armenian law enforcement. The detention came shortly after Karapetyan publicly criticised Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s stance against the Armenian Apostolic Church and expressed support for the institution.

Karapetyan responded to the raid, stating, “I will continue to stand by our Church and the Armenian people. I will fight with all my strength for the sacred values of the Armenian people—wherever I may be, no matter what happens.”  

A dual Russian-Armenian citizen, Karapetyan is a also prominent philanthropist, notably funding the renovation of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral and supporting the Armenian Apostolic Church through the Tashir Charitable Foundation.

By Khagan Isayev