Samvel Karapetyan`s support for AAC prompted Armenia premier to crack  down on businessman  - Armenia faction 

ArmInfo.  The support expressed by the Russian businessman of Armenian origin, the head of the Tashir Group of Companies Samvel Karapetyan for the Armenian Apostolic  Church (AAC) provoked the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan  to commit reprisals against the businessman. This is stated in a  statement by the opposition faction "Armenia".

In this regard, the faction recalled that Karapetyan had previously  spoken out in defense of the AAC, which has been under attack for the  third week by the country's authorities led by Nikol Pashinyan.  "Immediately after this, the Armenian Prime Minister made bold calls  for reprisals against the businessman and gave illegal instructions  to the security forces," the statement noted.

In this regard, the opposition political force stated that in the  extremely dangerous situation in the region, the unacceptable and  irresponsible actions of the ruling regime are destructive and  require nationwide consolidation.

Samvel Karapetyan was detained last night in Yerevan by Armenian law  enforcement agencies after he expressed support for the Armenian  Apostolic Church. In response, this was followed by open threats from  the Prime Minister.

We add that Karapetyan was supported by Russian journalist Vladimir  Solovyov, which caused a negative reaction from the speaker of the  Armenian parliament, Alen Simonyan. Vice President of the  International Committee for the Protection of Human Rights Ivan  Melnikov also made a statement in which he called for those who are  trying to detain innocent people to be held accountable.