On August 15, the detention of businessman Samvel Karapetyan was extended by two months amid ongoing legal disputes and allegations of political interference. Karapetyan’s lawyer, Aram Vardevanyan, noted that the court recognized reasonable suspicion only for the first charge, related to alleged calls for a violent change of power, while dismissing the remaining charges—including money laundering, tax evasion, and customs duty evasion—as lacking sufficient grounds.

Vardevanyan emphasized that the court’s decision demonstrated a legal absurdity, arguing that the preventive measure was applied despite all possible investigative actions having been completed and with no evidence connecting Karapetyan to the alleged economic crimes. According to Vardevanyan, the phrase cited as evidence for calls for violent change was uttered during an interview addressing events around the Holy See of Echmiadzin and not as a political call to action. He criticized the court for basing the continued detention on assumptions that Karapetyan might abscond, noting that his client is a well-known public figure and Forbes-listed businessman who publicly announced the formation of a political team in July.

The lawyer highlighted inconsistencies compared to similar cases, including those against Archbishop Mikael Ajapayan and former MP Ruben Hakobyan, where preliminary investigations were completed within 20 days, while Karapetyan’s case has faced an extended detention period. Vardevanyan stressed that the European Court of Human Rights prioritizes release from custody unless there are sufficient and convincing grounds for detention, a principle that he argued was ignored by Judge Davtyan. Regarding the economic charges, Vardevanyan pointed out that the court acknowledged the absence of reasonable suspicion, noting that the investigation failed to present any evidence that Karapetyan was personally responsible for alleged actions carried out by employees or unrelated third parties.

The legal team stated that they would appeal the decision to extend Karapetyan’s arrest to the Court of Appeal in the coming days, despite the 10-day statutory period for filing an appeal. Vardevanyan criticized political interference in the case, citing publications by the head of the Prime Minister’s office, and indicated that these actions could attract the attention of the European Court of Human Rights. The Council for the Protection of Samvel Karapetyan issued a statement condemning the court’s decision, asserting that justice had not been served. The council also emphasized its plans to launch Karapetyan’s political movement, Po-nashemu (Our Way), at the end of August, which they stated would open a new chapter in the country’s history.