Opposition member urges Pashinyan's team to 'calm down'

Tensions flared outside Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee on Friday as members and supporters of the opposition Strong Armenia party staged a rally demanding the release of businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan.

Party member Alik Aleksanyan accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of losing public trust and claimed that Karapetyan embodied the change people were awaiting. “We urge the small group to calm down, calm down, and calm down again. Change is imminent and it will be brought by Samvel Karapetyan,” Aleksanyan told demonstrators, prompting chants of “freedom, freedom.”

The protest was marked by heated exchanges between police officers and participants. Aleksanyan criticized the heavy police presence, insisting the gathering was peaceful. Deputy Police Colonel Levon Ghazaryan intervened, urging protesters to move closer to the courthouse.

Aleksanyan further emphasized that female members of his party had faced intimidation in recent days, but vowed that activists would continue their struggle “until we have a strong Armenia.”