I would like to point out that Samvel Karapetyan is effectively not only a political prisoner but also a hostage, as it is clear that his imprisonment is aimed at preventing him from carrying out his activities. I believe this was a long-planned move, dictated by politically motivated statements and political instructions, and his imprisonment fits perfectly with this concept. Former Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia and head of the “Wings of Unity” initiative, Arman Tatoyan, stated this in an interview with journalists.
“There is no jurisprudence here; it is simply the legalization of political instructions. Whatever article is put forward, the underlying political instruction is…” “I attribute this to Samvel Karapetyan’s activities, his work defending the church, and, as a criminal prosecution specialist, I don’t see any criminal prosecution in his actions,” Tatoyan noted.
He added that the ongoing persecution of the church is part of a political scenario.
“It’s obvious that Pashinyan, while serving as prime minister, has simultaneously assumed the responsibilities of a judge, prosecutor, investigator, and operative, and, following this logic, is acting on political instructions. He constantly positions himself as a parishioner of the Armenian Church. One cannot be a parishioner of the Armenian Church, call oneself a Christian, and constantly sow hatred and set people against each other,” said Arman Tatoyan.
He also noted that similar actions by the authorities against the church are consistent with statements by the Azerbaijani authorities and spiritual leaders. Tatoyan cites the complaint filed by Azerbaijan’s spiritual father to the international community several days ago, in which he claims the Armenian Apostolic Church is a warmonger, a revanchist, and so on.
It should be noted that the issue of extending Samvel Karapetyan’s detention is currently pending before the Anti-Corruption Court.