Armenian court approves one-month detention of Samvel Karapetyan
Ulviyya Poladova
Read moreAn Armenian court has ordered the one-month pretrial detention of Samvel Karapetyan, businessman and leader of the Strong Armenia party, local media outlets report.
The decision was issued by Judge Levon Petrosyan following a hearing that lasted throughout the night.
This marks the second time in the past 18 months that Karapetyan has been placed in custody.
The day before the ruling, investigators searched the homes of Karapetyan and his nephew, Narek Karapetyan, who heads the Strong Armenia parliamentary faction.
Armenia's Investigative Committee told the news outlet that searches were conducted simultaneously at 65 locations as part of a criminal investigation into alleged economic crimes and smuggling.
According to investigators, companies associated with Karapetyan and individuals linked to him allegedly caused damages amounting to 64.5 billion drams (approximately $177 million) to Electric Networks of Armenia.
Investigators allege that between 2016 and 2024, Karapetyan and individuals acting on his instructions were involved in abuse of authority in the private sector, large-scale embezzlement and money laundering.
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