Armenian Court Orders One-Month Detention for Tashir Pizza Executive Amid Ongoing Investigation

A court in Armenia has ordered the one-month detention of Vaginak Kazaryan, director of the Tashir Pizza restaurant chain, part of the Tashir Group owned by businessman Samvel Karapetyan, reports Orda.kz, citing Armenia Today.

Judge David Argamanyan issued the pre-trial detention order. Kazaryan is the third person arrested in connection with the case, which began after Karapetyan was charged with inciting calls to seize power. Two other Tashir Group employees were detained following a July 3 search of the company’s headquarters.

Since mid-June, Armenian authorities have launched a wave of criminal cases against figures seen as opponents of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Karapetyan, a key figure in the group, was charged in June after publicly stating his willingness to “personally resolve” a dispute between the government and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The investigation comes ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections and amid declining approval ratings for Pashinyan.

Experts have noted that authorities view Karapetyan — who commands significant financial resources and is said to be pro-Russian — as a potential political player, drawing comparisons to Georgian businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili.