Russian billionaire's pretrial detention in Armenia has been reduced

Russian oligarch Samvel Karapetyan, arrested in Armenia on charges of calling for a coup, has had his pretrial detention reduced. His pretrial detention has been replaced by house arrest.

Karapetyan, arrested in June after speaking out in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church (which followed Prime Minister Pashinyan's criticism of church representatives), denies his guilt. The businessman and his supporters believe the case is politically motivated.

In addition to charges of calling for a coup, Karapetyan is accused of money laundering through several companies, which his defense considers baseless. Amid the criminal prosecution, the Armenian government attempted to nationalize his company, Electric Networks of Armenia, but lost the arbitration case in Stockholm. Despite this, the Armenian authorities continue to assert the legality of their actions and have revoked the company's electricity distribution license.

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