Pro-Kremlin Billionaire's Arrest Extended in Armenia

The Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia has extended the arrest of Russian citizen and billionaire Samvel Karapetyan for two months. Earlier, he accused the Armenian authorities of severing ties with Russia.

Samvel Karapetyan was arrested on June 19 in Yerevan. He was accused of publicly calling for the seizure of power in Armenia. Before this, the country's Investigative Committee reported on the prevention of an attempted terrorist attack and seizure of power, suspecting the leader of the opposition movement "Sacred Struggle", Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan published a copy of the opposition's "failed" plan to remove him from power on a social network. He believes that the authors of the plan are former presidents of the country Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, Samvel Karapetyan and the head of the Armenian Church Garegin II.

Karapetyan is a Russian protégé. From the pretrial detention center, he accused the Armenian authorities of breaking ties with Russia, emphasizing that reliability, predictability, and honesty are important for Moscow as Yerevan's main ally.

"Instead, Yerevan defected to the European Union, not realizing that Armenia was not and is not expected there. Loudly proclaiming sovereignty at every step, they turned our country into an instrument for asserting someone else's sovereignty," Karapetyan wrote.

Последние новости
Shchukin: Over 3 Billion Rubles Paid to Flood Victims in Dagestan
Society
Shchukin: Over 3 Billion Rubles Paid to Flood Victims in Dagestan
16 October 2026

More than 3 billion rubles have been paid out to residents of Dagestan affected by spring floods. Fyodor Shchukin announced this on October 15 while speaking at a session of the republic’s People’s Assembly. On the same day, deputies elected him as the head of the region, following which he took the oath of office and assumed his duties.
Court upholds sentences for four Crimean Tatars in ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir’ case
Human rights
Court upholds sentences for four Crimean Tatars in ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir’ case
16 October 2026

A Russian military appellate court has rejected the appeals of four Crimean Tatars—Nariman Ametov, Ali Mamutov, Vokhid Mustafayev, and Enver Khalilyayev—who were convicted of involvement with the organization ‘Hizb ut-Tahrir.’ The sentences handed down by the Southern District Military Court on May 21, 2026, remain unchanged. According to the TASS news agency, citing court sources, the individuals—part of what is known as the "third Dzhankoy group"—were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 14 to 15 years.
Six more individuals involved in the case concerning the storming of the presidential residence have been released in Georgia
Human rights
Six more individuals involved in the case concerning the storming of the presidential residence have been released in Georgia
16 October 2026

Six people convicted in connection with the events of October 4, 2025, in Tbilisi have been set free following the conclusion of plea agreements with the prosecutor's office. This was reported on October 16 by the television channel TV Pirveli.
UN Summit Participants in Yerevan Seek Ways to Halt Nature’s Destruction
Ecology
UN Summit Participants in Yerevan Seek Ways to Halt Nature’s Destruction
16 October 2026

On October 16, a Leaders’ Summit on Biodiversity is taking place in Yerevan, organized as part of the preparations for the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17). Participants are discussing how to accelerate the fulfillment of international commitments regarding biodiversity conservation and prompt more decisive action from governments.