Armenia: Court Extends Karapetyan’s Arrest by Two Months, Keeps Archbishop Ajapahyan in Custody for 10 More Days

The Armenian Anti-Corruption Court has ruled that charges of money laundering and tax evasion against Tashir Group president Samvel Karapetyan lack serious grounds, his lawyer Aram Vardevanyan said, Orda.kz reports, citing NewsArmenia.

His arrest has been extended for an additional two months.

The investigator’s petition once again concerned accusations of calls to seize power — which never happened. These charges relate to alleged serious and particularly serious crimes, Vardevanyan stated at a Friday briefing.

In a separate ruling, the court rejected a motion to release Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan and extended his detention by 10 days, the National Front reported.

Adjapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, had previously been placed in pre-trial detention for two months on charges of publicly calling for the seizure of power and a violent overthrow of the government, under Part 2 of Article 422 of Armenia’s Criminal Code.

Karapetyan, a prominent Armenian businessman and head of the Tashir Group conglomerate, has been facing charges since earlier this year in a politically sensitive case that has drawn significant public attention.