Flash mob throughout Yerevan in support of Samvel Karapetyan

ArmInfo. Since early this morning, a flash mob has been taking place throughout Yerevan in support of Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian businessman of Armenian descent and head of the Tashir Group of Companies.

Today, the Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia will consider extending  the businessman's pretrial detention, which the prosecution accuses  of "calls to overthrow the country's government" and "financial  fraud."

On the day of the Samvel Karapetyan trial, large posters reading  "Free Samvel Karapetyan, Free Armenia" were hung throughout the  capital, in prominent areas of the city. Earlier, numerous supporters  of Samvel Karapetyan announced on social media that they would be at  the courthouse at 3/9 Tbilisi Highway, Yerevan, at 3:30 PM today,  where the businessman's pretrial detention would be heard.

It should be noted that the Armenian court had previously upheld the  January 17 ruling remanding Karapetyan in custody for two months.

As a reminder, the businessman was detained on June 18, 2025, by law  enforcement officers, and the court later remanded him in custody on  charges of calling for the overthrow of the constitutional order in  the country due to his support for the Armenian Apostolic Church. He  was later charged with money laundering. Notably, Karapetyan's arrest  was preceded by threatening posts from Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan, which lawyers have assessed as an attempt to directly  interfere with the investigation and law enforcement. Following  Karapetyan's arrest, the authorities effectively took over the  management of Eclectic Networks of Armenia from the Karapetyan  family, appointing Romanos Petrosyan, a member of the Civil Contract  party, as its manager. ENA was also stripped of its license.