Samvel Karapetyan's trial begins at Anti-Corruption Court

Armenian businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan appeared before the Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday as his trial formally opened.

Karapetyan, the prime ministerial candidate of the Strong Armenia party, declined to answer questions about his expectations from the proceedings, offering only a brief greeting to reporters before entering the courtroom.

The case has been assigned to judge Vahe Dolmazyan. Prior to the hearing, Karapetyan’s defense team filed a motion urging the court to prioritize deliberations on pre-trial detention measures.

“Preliminary hearings involve a range of issues, but the most critical is the question of preventive measures,” attorney Aram Vardevanyan told reporters on Tuesday. “We have petitioned judge Dolmazyan to address this matter as a priority. Every hour is pivotal given the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia.”