Samvel Karapetyan: Pashinyan and his government have no place in Armenia

Detained businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan released a new statement through his legal team on Friday, stressing the need for political change in Armenia.

Karapetyan’s statement was read aloud by his lawyer Aram Vardevanyan at a rally in support for the philanthropist in downtown Yerevan’s Diana Abgar Park late on Friday.

Karapetyan thanked thousands of Armenians for their support, saying he has felt neither isolation nor loneliness during his detention. He emphasized that public solidarity affirms his belief that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government are disconnected from the people and national values.

“Nikol Pashinyan and his government have no role to play in Armenia,” he stated.

Karapetyan accused the current leadership of betraying national traditions and undermining the Armenian Apostolic Church. He called for national consolidation, urging Armenians to unite around a “fundamentally new force” committed to restoring dignity, sovereignty and justice in Armenia.

“It’s time to move beyond division, defeat and despair. I know how to bring about this change and we’ll do it together,” Karapetyan stressed.