Arman Tatoyan, head of the Wings of Unity initiative and former Human Rights Defender of Armenia, stated outside the Anti-Corruption Court that businessman Samvel Karapetyan is “not only a political prisoner, but also a hostage.”
“Samvel Karapetyan is being held hostage. The politically directed persecution, and his deprivation of liberty, is clearly aimed at stopping his activities,” Tatoyan said, as reported by Panorama.am .
He emphasized that this was a long-planned action driven by political declarations, lacking any legal foundation. According to Tatoyan, what’s happening is simply a political order presented in legal disguise.
“It’s now obvious that this is political persecution; no matter what legal article is applied, it’s all based on a political directive,” he said, adding that he believes the real reason for Karapetyan’s arrest lies in his public support for the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Commenting on the detention of clergy from the Aragatsotn Diocese, Tatoyan criticized Prime Minister Pashinyan, claiming he had assumed the roles of judge, prosecutor, and operative, acting through political commands. “I’ve said many times that Pashinyan’s actions against the Church have turned into an issue of defending Christianity itself. He often claims to be a follower of the Armenian Church, but no one who spreads hatred and divides people can truly be called Christian,” he said.
Tatoyan also argued that the application of criminal charges has become a tool of repression, now accompanied by acts of disrespect toward sacred sites.
“Look at the way these criminal code articles are being used. Churches are being closed and searched. These are our sacred places; we don’t even touch the altar,” he added.
Samvel Karapetyan’s pretrial detention hearing, which began on October 14 and was interrupted overnight, resumed on October 15. On June 17, his residence was searched shortly after he publicly expressed support for the Armenian Apostolic Church, denouncing attacks on it by what he called a “small group” that had forgotten the Church’s historic role. Karapetyan was arrested on June 18 for two months, and on August 15, Judge Tigran Davtyan of the Anti-Corruption Court extended his detention for another two months.
