Lawyer: Karapetyan`s trial is legal nihilism

ArmInfo.  The trial involving Samvel Karapetyan, Russian businessman of Armenian origin and  head of the Tashir group of companies, is a disgrace. It is a direct rejection of the law and legal nihilism, as stated by Aram  Vardevanyan, one of the businessman's attorneys, at a press  conference organized by Karapetyan's defense team on September 9.

The lawyer noted that in Armenia, in the classical sense, a crisis of  law has arisen. To support his argument, he recalled that for many  years in the country, and until 2023, an alternative measure of  restraint was often used as a punishment. In the case of Samvel  Karapetyan, although there is generally no corpus delicti, a more  lenient sentence could have been applied. "Meanwhile, today, a  philanthropist like Samvel Karapetyan, is behind bars. Moreover, the  conditions of his detention leave much to be desired. In the cell  where Karapetyan is being held, the temperature is much higher than  outside in the sun. For example, now it is 32 degrees outside, and  where Karapetyan is being held it is 42 degrees. Outside it is 36,  and in the cell it is 46. Is this a humane condition for detention?  Will this break Karapetyan? Of course not," the lawyer said.  Additionally, he pointed out that this is how Armenia today treats a  person who has created numerous jobs in the country. He reiterated  that the case of Samvel Karapetyan is nothing more than political  persecution and lacks a legal basis. He does not rule out that the  legal proceedings against Karapetyan, which began  after his  well-known statements in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church,  were driven by political rivalry perceived by the authorities.