Prosecution of Karapetyan in Armenia raises concern of abuse of power

Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

A very concerning trend around the world is the prosecution of political opponents by governments.

Even more chilling is that governments are attempting to silence critics over closely held religious or political speech. The United States has experienced this in recent years with President Trump facing four indictments from The Biden Justice Department and state prosecutors of the opposing political party.

In Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro is facing criminal charges. In Romania, the government cancelled its election because a more populist candidate was leading in the polls.

One current example that has been under the radar is happening in Armenia.

Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan has been arrested, thrown in jail, and denied bail. What is Karapetyan accused of? Calling for regime change, according to the Prime Minister. However, a closer look at the situation shows political targeting by the Prime Minister.

Karapetyan said before his arrest, “a small group of people who have forgotten the thousand-year history of Armenia and the church were attacking the religious institution. “I have always stood with the Armenian Church and the Armenian people,” the billionaire said. “If the politicians do not succeed, we will intervene in our own way in this campaign against the church.” The Prime Minister has also called for nationalizing Karapetyan’s successful power company, the Tashir Group, even before Karapetyan has had a trial.

A person close to the Trump Administration tells BizPac, “The Trump Administration is becoming more aware of this clear political prosecution of Karapetyan simply for his religious beliefs and free speech criticizing a leader in power. This mirrors exactly what Biden did to Trump, prosecuting an opponent for having different views, masquerading as an insurrection.” A judge in Armenia recently ruled that the Prime Minister’s directive to raid and search Karapetyan was illegal. Analysts say this proves the point that Pashinyan is abusing his power to prosecute and silence his critics.

An unnamed political strategist told BizPac, “When a judge is shooting down your raid as illegal, and you are breaking promises, it has become quite clear that Pashinyan is abusing his office to silence critics like Karapetyan.”

According to an Armenian outlet, the cases of the Prime Minister’s abuse of power against Karapetyan include the following:

•  On Pashinyan’s instructions, the police entered Karapetyan’s Yerevan home seizing unspecified items. However, a judge ruled that the search was illegal.

• He directed the arrest of several ENA executives on fabricated charges and the detention of a Karapetyan family member.

•  On July 18, he appointed an inexperienced individual as ENA’s interim manager, risking serious financial losses, disruptions to electricity supply, and higher fees for consumers.

• The Karapetyans (Samvel, Eteri, Sarkis, and Karen) and their Cypriot partner, Liormand Holdings Limited, referred their dispute to the SCC — as previously had been agreed with the Armenian government. However, Pashinyan is now ignoring that agreement.

The Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan is expected to meet with President Trump on Friday to discuss peace in the region.

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