Oppositionist: Armenian authorities arrested Karapetyan  to prevent  public mobilization around the Church

ArmInfo.The arrest of Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan was an attempt by the Armenian  authorities to prevent a situation from escalating around the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) and potential public mobilization in this regard. Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of parliament from the opposition faction "I Have Honor", shared such a viewpoint  during a briefing on June 20. 

He pointed out that Karapetyan's detention was based on a statement  that didn't violate any law. The deputy emphasized that such actions  are not only unjustifiable, but could also have repercussions on the  internal social and political landscape in the future, including the  public itself.

"This is clearly a case of  political persecution, no matter how it  is explained or justified. It is evident that Karapetyan simply  expressed his stance, which not only differs from that of the  authorities, but is also seen a threat by them. The support of the  Church by such influential figures is a serious challenge to the  authorities," Abramyan clarified. However, the deputy  believes that  the actions taken by the authorities will not achieve the desired  results. He believes that the "vocabulary" and  methods being used  against the AAC cannot, in principle, be beneficial for the ruling  authorities in any way.