“Let no one doubt that we will not retreat, we will not stop, and together with our people we will make Armenia the best, most prosperous, and happiest country in the world,” he said in a written appeal to participants of a conference held by the Mer Dzevov (In Our Way) movement in Yerevan.
Karapetian announced the start of “the formation of our political team” on July 14 almost one months after being arrested following his condemnation of Pashinian’s campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church. Analysts expect it to be a major player in Armenia’s next parliamentary elections due in June 2026. They say he can win over many voters who trust neither the government nor the mainstream opposition. According to opinion polls, such disillusioned people make up the biggest percentage of the electorate.
In his statement, the 60-year-old billionaire, who has financed many charity projects in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, said In Our Way has already “brought significant changes to the country's political life.”
The movement is currently led by his nephew and top spokesman, Narek Karapetian. The latter told reporters after Saturday’s conference that as many as 5,000 people from across the country have already joined it. He also said that it will formally spawn a political party and name its candidate for the post of prime minister in January.
Under Armenian law, Samvel Karapetian is not eligible to become prime minister because of his dual Russian nationality. But he can lead or sponsor a party even from behind the bars. It remains unclear who could top the party’s list of election candidates. Narek Karapetian said only that he or she will be “acceptable” to many Armenians.
“We will do everything to ensure that the [ruling] Civil Contract party becomes opposition for a second time,” he said.
Narek Karapetian admitted that the tycoon’s continued imprisonment will “reflect negatively” the new opposition group’s activities.
“When we visit villages, people ask about him, they want to see him,” he said. “And in the city [of Yerevan,] whoever sees me asks about him. This is probably the calculation of our authorities. But they did not take into account one thing: the idea of justice is quite entrenched our society, and with each passing day that they keep Samvel Karapetyan in the ‘KGB dungeon,’ they lose the last trace of justice in the eyes of the public.”
Samvel Karapetian, who has mainly lived in Moscow since the early 1990s, was arrested on June 18 hours after condemning Pashinian’s attempts to depose the top clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and vowing to defend it “in our way.” Law-enforcement authorities claim that the statement constituted a call for a violent overthrow of the government.
After announcing his political ambitions from prison, Karapetian was also charged him with tax evasion, fraud and money laundering. He rejects the accusations as politically motivated.
Speaking at a July 16 news conference, Pashinian effectively admitted the connection between Karapetian’s rhetoric and arrest. He said the tycoon must give up his Russian citizenship before engaging in political activities in Armenia.