Samvel Karapetyan's lawyer says extended house arrest amounts to interference in electoral process

The Armenian Anti-Corruption Court has extended the house arrest of businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, the prime ministerial candidate of the Strong Armenia party, by one month, his lawyer said on Saturday, unveiling plans to appeal the decision in a higher court.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse, his lawyer Aram Vardevanyan said the ruling effectively prevents the party leader from taking part in a critical phase of the electoral process, including the formation of the party’s candidate list ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.

“This creates a serious problem for political equality, fairness and competitive conditions,” Vardevanyan said, arguing that Karapetyan has been in detention for nine months without sufficient legal grounds. He said both detention and house arrest constitute forms of custody.

According to Vardevanyan, investigators did not provide a clear answer during the hearing when asked whether Karapetyan would be allowed to broadcast live on Facebook. He said a written response from the Probation Service did not include such a restriction.

The lawyer also said the court maintained a ban preventing Karapetyan from communicating with his nephew Narek Karapetyan, who is expected to lead the Strong Armenia party’s electoral list.

Vardevanyan described the case as politically motivated and said the restrictions amount to direct interference in the electoral process, particularly in the submission of party lists to the Central Electoral Commission of Armenia.