'Hatred must be uprooted from Armenia,' Samvel Karapetyan says in message

Jailed businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan issued a message from his detention facility, calling for a “strong Armenia” and outlining an alternative vision to the current government ahead of parliamentary elections due in June 2026.

In his letter circulated on Monday, Karapetyan said the vote would be “decisive for the future of Armenia as a state” and urged voters to consider a different course from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration, which he criticized for economic hardship, social division and weakened institutions.

“Our future vision is a strong Armenia,” Karapetyan wrote. “The people are longing for justice and we must deliver it.”

Karapetyan pledged to priorities merit in public service, support young professionals and use his international business connections to boost investment and growth. “We will not empty the state budget into private pockets,” he said. “Even with our own resources, we are obliged to enrich our country.”

He also promised to tackle poverty and household debt, saying no child should go hungry and no parent should be unable to afford medicine. “This is a matter of my honor,” he wrote, adding that his team would work with banks to find solutions for heavily indebted families.

Speaking about foreign policy, Karapetyan called for pragmatic relations with all neighbors and major powers. “We will solve issues peacefully and professionally, in our interest,” he said.

He concluded with a call for national reconciliation. “Hatred must be uprooted from Armenia,” Karapetyan wrote. “The future will come regardless; the question is whether we make it truly ours.”