Russian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan detained in Yerevan

Armenian police detained the head of the Tashir Group of Companies, Russian citizen, billionaire Samvel Karapetyan. The day before, the police conducted a search in his house in Yerevan.

Karapetyan had previously spoken out in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Investigative actions against him began after he stated that "a small group attacked the Armenian Church, the Armenian people." Karapetyan noted that "if the politicians fail, we will intervene in the campaign against the Church in our own way."

The day before, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan dismissed the director of the National Security Service (NSS) of the country, Armen Abazyan. According to media reports, the reason for this decision was Abazyan's refusal to detain Samvel Karapetyan.

Pashinyan had previously repeatedly criticized the Armenian Church. He called for uniting around the demand to replace Catholicos Garegin II. According to the prime minister, he has evidence that the Catholicos violated his vow of celibacy and that he has a child. In addition, Pashinyan stated that Russia ordered the Armenian Apostolic Church to fight the authorities. He claimed that, on Moscow's instructions, clergy representatives should make anti-government statements.

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