Samvel Karapetyan's Defense Council thanks rally participants

The Defense Council for Samvel Karapetyan has expressed gratitude to all those who joined Friday’s rally and march to express support for the detained businessman and philanthropist, including civic activists, political figures, artists, public servants and businessmen.

“We accomplished something significant together,” it said in a statement. “We showed the world that the Armenian people stand firmly for their rights, future, traditions and values.”

The Defense Council reiterated its demand for the immediate release of Samvel Karapetyan, denouncing his detention as unlawful. It also called for the creation of a "fundamentally new force" to address the critical challenges facing the country.

“Those who seek to destroy have no future in Armenia. The future belongs to the builders,” reads the statement.