Karapetian was prosecuted hours after strongly criticizing Pashinian’s ongoing campaign against the top clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
“Now I will interfere with you in my own way, you scoundrel,” the premier wrote before Karapetian was arrested and charged with calling for a violent overthrow of the Armenian government.
Karapetian remained defiant after his arrest, issuing daily statements from prison lambasting Pashinian, predicting his imminent downfall and seemingly staking claim to power.
In one such statement issued on Sunday, he charged that Pashinian has “completely destroyed the country's external security,” “ruined” its relations with Russia and is now shamefully begging the leaders of Azerbaijan and Turkey for peace.
“Soon our external security will be rebuilt, and dignity will be restored very quickly,” pledged the Armenian-born tycoon.
His next statements issued on Monday and Tuesday deplored the current state of Armenia’s relationship with its worldwide Diaspora and urged disgruntled members of the country’s ruling “small clique” to turn their backs on Pashinian.
“Our country has almost lost its most precious and immeasurable capital, our Diaspora, and they [the authorities] have successfully reached a point where Armenia has zero investment from the Diaspora,” he claimed.
Members of Karapetian’s extended family and other associates declined to say whether these statements testify to his desire to push for regime change in Armenia, which is due to hold general elections next year. The tycoon, who has never been involved in Armenian political processes before, has attracted strong support from the country’s main opposition groups.
Karapetian, 59, was born and raised in Armenia and moved to Russia in the early 1990s. The bulk of his business assets estimated by the Forbes magazine at $4 billion are located in Russia. Although some Russian officials have expressed concern at his arrest, Moscow has so far refrained from openly calling for his release from prison.
Meanwhile, Karapetian was transferred on Tuesday from a prison in Armavir, a town about 50 kilometers west of Yerevan, to a maximum-security basement jail located in the center of the Armenian capital. A spokesperson for the national penitentiary service refused to give a clear reason for the transfer.
Right after being taken to the Armavir prison, Karapetian pledged to provide free legal services to its inmates who claim to have been jailed unjustly. He went on to publicize a list of lawyers ready to deal with their cases.
A member of Karapetian’s own legal team, Aram Vartevanian, insisted that the case against client is baseless and politically motivated. Vartevanian accused investigators of executing Pashinian’s orders posted on Facebook.
The charges levelled against Karapetian stem from his comments made at the Echmiadzin headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church on June 17. He accused Pashinian of “attacking” the ancient church and vowed to “participate” in its defense. Armenian law-enforcement authorities say the remarks amounted to a call for violent regime change.
A Yerevan court of first instance allowed investigators on June 18 to hold Karapetian in pre-trial detention. The tycoon initially appealed against the decision. But he withdrew the appeal on Monday after it emerged that case has been assigned to a Court of Appeals judge notorious for approving arrest warrants and other decisions sought by prosecutors. Karapetian’s lawyers said the judge, Armen Danielian, is bound to refuse to free him.