Samvel Karapetyan

Facts and Justification

On 17 June 2025, S. Karapetyan expressed support for the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, whose clergy had for nearly a month been the target of criticism and profane attacks by N. Pashinyan and members of the ruling Civil Contract party. Asked by a journalist for his views on the campaign against the Church, S. Karapetyan replied:

“What should I think when a small group, having forgotten Armenian history and millennia of tradition of the Armenian Church, attacks the Church and our people? As I have always stood with the Church and with the Armenian people, I will take part directly. If politicians do not succeed, we will take part in our own way.”

The statement was immediately followed by offensive and threatening posts on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s official Facebook page:

“Why have these promiscuous ‘clergymen’ and their promiscuous ‘benefactors’ activated? No matter, we’ll pacify them again. And this time, for good.”

“He says, ‘we will intervene in our own way.’ Now I will intervene in my way, you scoundrel. Or rather, all of you [scoundrels].”

The prosecution of S. Karapetyan was carried out at the direction of the executive, namely the Prime Minister. The criminal offence attributed to him is interpreted under Article 419, part 1 of the Criminal Code of the RA, which defines the offence of “seizing power.” Under that provision, seizing power means assuming the powers of the President of the Republic, the National Assembly, the Government, or the Constitutional Court through the use or threat of violence, or by any other means not prescribed by the Constitution.

S. Karapetyan, however, made no call, either expressly or implicitly, to take any action whatsoever. Nor did he call for the assumption of the powers of state bodies through the use or threat of violence. Accordingly, even under an overly broad interpretation, S. Karapetyan’s statement could not constitute a criminal offence. Moreover, it constitutes protected political speech, since freedom of expression guarantees everyone the right to express their opinions and ideas without fear, even where those views run counter to the opinions endorsed by public authorities or are such as to offend, shock, or disturb them.

Detailed description of the persecution and substantiation of claims are available in the ACPR statement dated 20.06.2025 (in Armenian) and in the “Injustice in Armenia: Mass political persecutions of 2025: Part A (May–September)” report (pp. 12-15)

Political motives of persecution

● Limit, reduce or hinder his/her or other persons’ political speech, as well as to force them to change (censor) their political speech and behavior, including criticism.

● To punish for political speech, behavior or beliefs.