Vardevanyan: From a legal standpoint, it is undeniable that Samvel Karapetyan is facing intense political persecution

Aram Vardevanyan, the attorney representing philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, wrote:

“Human Rights Day and the real state of human rights in Armenia. Despite the adoption of a new Criminal Procedure Code and the introduction of numerous alternative preventive measures, detention continues to be used exclusively in all high-profile cases.

These publicly available facts demonstrate that detention in Armenia does not function as a preventive measure aimed at mitigating risks related to a person’s behavior. Instead, it serves as a purely repressive and authoritarian instrument.

National philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan has been held in what is clearly unlawful detention since June 18, 2025. Our appeals are currently being reviewed by Judge Zh. Meliksetyan of the Anti-Corruption Court of Appeals through a written procedure. The deadline for submitting written positions expires today, and the court is expected to issue a ruling on December 11.

Throughout this period, we have submitted multiple additional explanations and legal positions to the Court of Appeal, all of which refute the legal basis for maintaining any form of detention.

From a legal standpoint, it is undeniable that Samvel Karapetyan is subjected to the most intense political persecution. He has been unlawfully detained for nearly six months and has been deprived of even the most fundamental guarantees of a fair trial. The de facto illegal grounds for this situation were laid out in the ‘Facebook justice’ sphere, in posts made by the head of the executive branch on June 17, 2025.

Freedom to all political prisoners.”