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Russian-Armenian billionaire and Strong Armenia Alliance leader Samvel Karapetyan has said he cannot complete the process of renouncing his Russian and Cypriot citizenships until he is released from house arrest, as the procedure requires him to personally submit the necessary documents, AzerNEWS reports via Armenian media.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Karapetyan said the process of giving up his foreign citizenships was already underway but stressed that he must first obtain court permission to appear at the relevant embassies.

"I've made a political statement; I've said that on the day it becomes necessary, that is, the day I am declared prime minister, I will be only a citizen of Armenia. Be satisfied with this," Karapetyan said.

Karapetyan, who was the Strong Armenia Alliance's unsuccessful candidate for prime minister in the June parliamentary elections, was ineligible for the post because he holds Russian and Cypriot citizenship alongside his Armenian passport. Armenian law also requires candidates for prime minister and parliament to have resided in the country continuously for at least four years before elections.

Following the election, the alliance acknowledged Karapetyan's ineligibility and proposed constitutional amendments that would allow him to assume the premiership in the future.

Karapetyan, who has been under house arrest since December 2025 and faces multiple charges, including money laundering, dismissed suggestions that his use of different citizenships in legal proceedings in France, Sweden and Armenia could complicate the renunciation process.

'Secret plan' to remove Pashinyan

Karapetyan also outlined the opposition's next political steps, saying the alliance would wait for the Constitutional Court's ruling on election-related complaints, expected on July 4, before deciding on future actions.

He said the alliance plans to hold consultations with other opposition figures and did not rule out organizing street protests if circumstances require.

At the same time, Karapetyan claimed to have a "secret plan" to remove Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from office.

"We have our own secret plan—I'm not going to reveal it. It's a plan to remove Pashinyan," he said, adding that the prime minister could be removed "very easily."

Karapetyan did not elaborate on the plan or provide a timeline for its implementation.

He also said he had already met with several opposition leaders to discuss broader cooperation but declined to identify them, adding that additional political forces and influential public figures would eventually join the effort.

Karapetyan further said the alliance has not yet decided whether it will take up its parliamentary mandates or boycott the legislature. According to him, internal discussions with supporters showed opinions remain divided, although a majority now favors entering parliament.