Russian billionaire accused of calling for seizure of power in Armenia
Billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, the owner of Tashir Group, was put on trial in Armenia. Forbes estimates the businessman’s fortune at $3.2 billion. He ranks 44th in the list of the richest people in the Russian Federation. The reason for the detention is Karapetyan’s promise to fight the Armenian government over attacks on the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC). The businessman was accused of calling for the seizure of power. For this, he can be sentenced to imprisonment (from one month to five years), a fine and community service (from 150 to 270 hours), according to Karapetyan’s lawyer Armen Feroyan.
Over the past few weeks, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has accused the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Garegin II, of having an illegitimate child and called for the election of a new Catholicos with the participation of the state.
Pashinyan also said that priests should have sex with their relatives, and not meddle in his affairs. At the same time, he demands to fight the cluttering of churches, calling this process “deception.” The Prime Minister’s wife, Anna Hakobyan, said that priests who are unhappy with her husband’s position are pedophiles because it is more convenient for them to engage in debauchery in a closet.
Experts believe that Pashinyan’s anti-church campaign is timed to coincide with the parliamentary elections to be held in June next year. The Prime Minister worries that the Armenian Orthodox Church, which has never had much love for his regime, may support the opposition. It is unlikely that this will lead to a serious increase in the popularity of Pashinyan’s opponents, since their anti-rating is very high, and the reputation of the priests is not impeccable, but thanks to this they can receive several crucial additional percentages. Therefore, the Prime Minister decided ahead of time to discredit the church and raise his own authority in the wake of an uncompromising struggle against the “former” and their henchmen.
Whatever it was, Pashinyan said that Karapetyan’s detention was not only related to his anti-government statements. “During my numerous regional visits, I noted with surprise and anger that, in fact, the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), as a result of its activities, almost created an energy crisis in Armenia. My analysis gives reason to think, or at least does not allow us to abandon the idea that all this was done and is being done in order to cause internal discontent in Armenia. I have given instructions that either clear mechanisms should be created to return the damage done to the people, or the ESA should be nationalized, that is, transferred to state ownership. My assignment expires on June 21,” the head of government said.
As you know, in December 2016, PJSC Inter RAO closed a deal with the Tashir Group to transfer the shares of the energy company in Armenian assets to it. As a result, Tashir received 100% of shares in CJSC Electric Networks of Armenia and JSC Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant.
“I link this activation (Karapetyan’s speech. – “NG”) with my instructions, my decision, because the members of the government started working, they gave the message to the ESA, they said: “You clearly calculate the damage you have caused to the people, not only to the people, but also to public and private organizations.” Because in every community, in every region that I visit, people ask clear questions, they say the lights were turned off, we had a washing machine, it burned down, we bought a refrigerator, it burned down, we had a TV, it burned down… I’m saying that the church is just a smokescreen for the former owners of the ESA very soon,” Pashinyan said.
As a result, the Prime Minister said that, in his opinion, it was time to nationalize the ESA. Moreover, this should happen quickly and without stopping the work of the company.
Nevertheless, Karapetyan had defenders. One of them was former Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan. “Over the years, his family’s activities have been linked to the development of our homeland.… In this context, naturally, Samvel Karapetyan could not remain indifferent to the actions taken against the Armenian Apostolic Church,” the former head of government said.
Mikael Hambartsumyan, former Acting Director of the National Security Service (NSS), believes that reasonable law enforcement officers should not take part in this process. “There is a deep crisis in our homeland with characteristic clashes and consequences,” Hambartsumyan stressed.
Hrant Mikaelyan, a researcher at the Caucasus Institute, told NG that Karapetyan’s detention fits into Pashinyan’s election strategy. “The head of government is striving for maximum cleansing of the opposition, as he understands that in an alternative scenario he will not be able to win the parliamentary elections. The most radical methods are used, while the focus is on Karapetyan’s Russian origin. Propaganda makes it clear that the Russian billionaire deliberately undermined Armenia’s energy system, hoping to undermine the authority of the government and change power in the interests of Moscow,” Mikaelyan said.
According to the expert, Pashinyan is very determined. In particular, it cannot be ruled out that he will indeed nationalize the ESA, although it is not known how legitimate this will be. “Given that the head of the National Security Service of Armenia, Armen Abazyan, resigned amid Karapetyan’s detention, serious changes await us … Everything will probably follow the Moldovan scenario: maximum tightening of the screws with the support of the West. At the same time, Karapetyan did not accidentally fall under the distribution. From Pashinyan’s point of view, he looks like the founder of the Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili.: He also made a fortune in Russia and supports the opposition. Accordingly, such a person should not be allowed to participate in the elections,” Mikaelyan said.
It is worth noting that the trial of Karapetyan has really turned into a political action. Several hundred supporters of the billionaire gathered in front of the temple of Themis, including priests who demanded his release.
Political analyst Mikael Zolyan, on the contrary, believes that the case may be related not to the elections, but to the ESA. “The nationalization of the company has long been preparing, as the ESA has many problems. They showed themselves especially strongly last summer. Apparently, then there was a conflict between the state and Karapetyan. The authorities considered that the nationalization of the ESA would solve all the problems, and Karapetyan, building a defense strategy, decided to present himself as a defender of the church and a victim of political repression,” Zolyan told NG.