Consideration of Samvel Karapetyan`s appeal transferred to judge  whose `career growth` depends on ruling parliamentary faction -  lawyer 

ArmInfo. Judge of the Criminal Court of Appeal Armen Danielyan, who is assigned to consider the appeal of the lawyers of the famous businessman, philanthropist, president of the Tashir Group Samvel Karapetyan, is a candidate for the post of judge of the Cassation Court and his election depends on the will of the ruling Civil Contract faction in the National Assembly. Taking this into account, as well as his similar background, the defense has the right to doubt his bias. This assessment was made by lawyer Aram Vardevanyan at a press conference on July 2.

On the night of June 19, the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction  arrested Samvel Karapetyan for two months. Karapetyan's defense  immediately filed an appeal, which in a very short time, together  with the case materials, was sent to the Criminal Court of Appeal and  transferred to a judge whose 'career growth' depends on the ruling  parliamentary faction in Armenia. "Let's say that out of 20 judges of  this court, 19 would certainly have overturned the decision of the  court of first instance to choose arrest as a preventive measure for  an act of medium gravity. I come to this conclusion based on personal  experience, as well as on the statements of the law enforcement  officers themselves>, - he noted. However, there was a judge - Armen  Danielyan, to whom the entire legal community formed a <special>  attitude, to whom the case was actually transferred. "Since we are  talking about political persecution, the logic of the actions should  have been appropriate," the lawyer continued.

As a result, Samvel Karapetyan's defense was forced to withdraw the  complaint, the consideration of which was transferred to Armen  Danielyan. In such cases, Vardevanyan explained, the Criminal  Procedure Code provides for the immediate termination of proceedings  by the judge. However, in this case, again - within the framework of  the "legal regime of political persecution>, the judge does not do  this, but waits. And he waits until the prosecutor's office, in the  conditions of a fully satisfied petition, submits an appeal, which  will allow him to avoid recusal.

"Then the judge set <a new bar> - he decided to accept for  proceedings both the prosecutor's complaint, 'which actually has no  subject for consideration,' and the complaint of Karapetyan's  defense, which the latter refused,' said Aram Vardevanyan. The lawyer  insists - even abstracting from the fact that in this case there is  absolutely no criminally prosecutable act, given the act incriminated  to Samvel Karapetyan - an alleged crime of medium gravity, the choice  of a preventive measure in the form of arrest is clearly unlawful.

On June 17, 2025, Samvel Karapetyan gave an interview to one of the  media outlets, in which he expressed his concern about the harsh  campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church. In particular, in an  interview lasting just over one minute, answering the question of  what is his opinion regarding the campaign against the Armenian  Church, the famous businessman replied: "What opinion should I have  if a small group, forgetting the history of Armenia, the  thousand-year history of the Armenian Church, attacked the Church,  the Armenian people? Since I have always been close to the Armenian  Church and the people, I will take direct part: If the politicians  fail, then we will take part in all this in our own way."

Immediately after the publication of this interview by Karapetyan,  Pashinyan made several posts on the social network, in particular the  following content: "Why have the lustful 'clergy' and their lustful  'benefactors' become more active? Never mind, we will deactivate them  again. And forever." "This is not the village of Nizhniy Tapir in  Kaluga. This is the Republic of Armenia. I hope the taste of the  state will remain in your mouth. He says, we will interfere in our  own way. Now I will interfere in my own way, you rascal. Or rather,  in you."

As a result, Samvel Karapetyan was detained on the night of June 18  in Yerevan by law enforcement agencies of Armenia. On the night of  June 19, the Yerevan Court of General Jurisdiction arrested  Karapetyan for two months. He is being held in the Yerevan-Kentron  penal institution (the well-known "KGB basement" in the building of  the National Security Service of Armenia). He is accused of publicly  calling for the seizure of power in the country. Karapetyan does not  admit guilt.