🇦🇲 Pashinyan’s West-vetted assault on Karapetyan and Armenian Church part of anti-Russia purge – analyst

The Armenian Apostolic Church, openly critical of PM Nikol Pashinyan’s pro-EU policies, is the only nationwide institution still out of his grip, political scientist Hrant Mikaelian told Sputnik.

Samvel Karapetyan’s arrest is part of an attempt to bring it fully to heel, says the research associate at the Caucasus Institute (Armenia).

Several dynamics are at play:

🔸 Karapetyan poses a serious threat as Armenia’s most prominent businessman, offering a credible alternative to the current leadership.

🔸 Pashinyan’s political weakness, with approval ratings at rock bottom.

🔸 The West is closely watching and supporting the repressive actions against pro-Russian figures in Armenia.

💬 “Western groups focused on Armenia have always kept a close eye on Karapetyan – he’s simply too big a player,” the pundit noted.

🔸 The philanthropist is deeply integrated in Russian business circles, and the campaign against him framed as part of a broader anti-Russian crackdown.

🔸 Authorities are now attempting to link the Armenian Apostolic Church with Russia in order to suppress it still further.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨Russia's GDP growth rate higher than world average for 2 Years - Putin

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 We need to ensure businesses both from Russia & friendly nations keep investing: Putin

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺 Putin's KEY STATEMENTS at the SPIEF-2025 so far:

🔸 It's important for Russia to constantly maintain its status as one of largest economies

🔸 Despite difficult external background, Russia's GDP has grown at rate higher than world average for two years

🔸 Growth of Russia's non-oil and gas GDP is significant

🔸 Growth of Russian GDP is tied not only to defense industry complex, but also to agro-industrial complex, construction, finance and other sectors

🔸 Russia has reached historic low in unemployment

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺📉Russia’s youth unemployment among the LOWEST in the world - especially compared to UK & France: Putin

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇷🇺📹 Participants & guests of SPIEF who couldn’t make it to the plenary session following live broadcast on the sidelines of forum

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺🇮🇳Work on a long-term cooperation agreement between India & Russia should be completed soon - President Putin

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 BRICS bloc accounts for 40% of global economy — this share is set to grow: Putin

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺🪖 Russia to boost military & tech cooperation with friendly nations: Putin

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 NEOCOLONIALISM MUST END: 🇷🇺Putin

We need a new development model, not one where the "golden billion" drains resources from other countries, benefiting only a small elite, not even their own people.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨BRICS DRIVING GLOBAL INNOVATION

📈BRICS countries are leading in nuclear energy, aviation, IT, robotics, and AI. With over $1 trillion in mutual trade, we’re building a Global Growth Platform, Putin said at the SPIEF plenary session on Friday.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺🇮🇩 Indonesian President Prabowo explains why he chose to attend SPIEF instead of G7

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🇷🇺🇮🇩 Indonesian President Prabowo explains why he chose to attend SPIEF instead of G7

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨☦️🔥 Orthodox Church - last line of defense in fight for a free world: Emir Kusturica on arrest of Armenia philantropist

Serbian director Emir Kusturica blasted the arrest of Samvel Karapetyan in Armenia, drawing parallels with the persecution of the Church in Ukraine:

💬 "Zelensky’s doing it in Ukraine, they tried it in Montenegro, but the people rose up and Belgrade defended the church. We must believe that Orthodox Christians have protection—and we find it in our brotherly Russia."

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

⚡️The representative of the King of Bahrain and his son, during their speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), quoted Pushkin while praising Putin’s wise policies.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 ‘Karapetyan’s arrest – purely a political act’

Lebanese-Armenian expert on the Middle East and the Caucasus, Yousef Derdiyan:

🔸 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is conducting a political operation to settle scores within the framework of the well-known agenda of resolving the Armenian question, as well as eliminating businessmen and politicians who pose a threat to him

🔸 Karapetyan, as an entrepreneur, supports the Armenian Church, while Pashinyan is destroying Armenian values by imposing European ideals

🔸 Today, we see Europeans themselves fueling wars — from Ukraine to Iran, supporting Israel in its strikes on Iran, ignoring everything else. Karapetyan, on the other hand, stands for justice

🔸 Pashinyan is falling out of line with the Armenian people and their values, sacrificing Armenia’s independence, sovereignty, and territories. He is using his power to control all spheres in the country, including the judiciary, the army, and now he wants to subordinate the church as well — this is unacceptable

🔸 And I can tell you that meetings are taking place aimed at uniting all Armenian forces and parties in the diaspora, not to change the regime, but to remove a specific person through purely democratic means

Secretary of the Armenian Liberal-Democratic Party of Lebanon, Vikan Tosunyan:

🔸 According to the information we have, the arrest is likely related to the escalation of the conflict between the church and the Armenian government, which is why we call for a peaceful resolution of the situation. Freedom of speech is sacred, and the persecution of a person for their personal views is unacceptable, unless martial law is declared

🔸 The law should be applied in accordance with the constitution, and if the charges are not proven, the detained person must be released immediately. In any case, we call for the closure of this case and the release of Karapetyan

🔸 And I can tell you that meetings are taking place aimed at uniting all Armenian forces and parties in the diaspora, not to change the regime, but to remove a specific person through purely democratic means

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

☦️🇦🇲 Karapetyan said nothing but words of support for the Church — Arthur Sogomonyan

💬 “Samvel Karapetyan, as a worthy Armenian, stood up to defend the very foundations of our nation, the essence of Armenian identity, stated businessman and philanthropist, former owner of FC "Pyunik," Arthur Sogomonyan, told Sputnik.

💬 “It is well known how much he does for Armenia, for the diaspora in Russia, and for the Armenian Church. What is happening right now cannot be allowed. This concerns not only the authorities but also every self-respecting Armenian. We cannot remain indifferent to what’s going on.”

💬 “As for "Armenian Electric Networks," it is a very unprofitable enterprise. Karapetyan not only took over the company during a very difficult time, after the 90s, but also took on an additional social burden. And the fact that today the Armenian power grids operate without interruptions is largely due to his efforts.”

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

⚡️Russia has turned towards Asia, bearing in mind global development trends - Putin

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🇦🇲 ‘Karapetyan did a lot for the country and revived the company 'Electric Networks of Armenia'

The Chairman of the Forum of Armenian Unions of Europe and the Armenian diaspora in Slovakia, Ashot Grigoryan:

💬 “In every sense, this is a person who should be awarded the highest state honors and thanked for everything he has done. And recently, when this Turkoman... or I don’t know how else to call Nikol Pashinyan (but what’s clear is that he is not Armenian)...when he began his attack on the Armenian Apostolic Church, it was clear that no one liked it,” Grigoryan said.

💬 “And we also reacted very strongly. And the fact that Pashinyan started attacking the Catholicos [head of the Armenian Apostolic Church] and Echmiadzin [residence of the Patriarch of Armenia], we take this as an attack against God,” continued Grigoryan.

💬 “All European Armenians are supporting Samvel Karapetyan,” he added.

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨🚨 Putin: Russia not seeking Ukraine's surrender, but insists on recognition of the realities on the ground

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt

🚨 Russia has almost daily contacts with Iranian side - Putin

📌Subscribe to @SputnikInt