Moscow/Yerevan, June 20 (UNI) Russia is closely monitoring the situation around Russian billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan’s arrest in Armenia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.



"Of course, we are following it. For us, he is a Russian citizen. We do not want to interfere in Armenia’s internal affairs, but naturally, we closely monitor everything related to a Russian citizen," Peskov told reporters on the sidelines of the 2025 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), reports TASS.



On Wednesday, a court in Yerevan arrested Karapetyan for two months on charges of public calls to seize power in Armenia, his lawyer Liana Gasparyan said.



Karapetyan, a Russian citizen of Armenian origin, has drawn scrutiny after expressing support for the Armenian Apostolic Church amid its tensions with the government of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.



Condemning the arrest, Moscow Patriarchate (another name for Russian Orthodox Church) representative, Vachtang Kipshidze told Sputnik “The Armenian Apostolic Church is the most authoritative social force in Armenian life. Its freedom, independence, and internal autonomy are non-negotiable. Any attempt to undermine them is unacceptable.”



When defenders of faith and tradition like businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan are targeted, society risks trading stability for persecution, the Patriarchate warned.



The detention of Karapetyan – a vocal supporter of the Armenian church – is part of a broader campaign to silence voices standing with Armenia’s spiritual foundations, claimed Kipshidze.



The Armenian Church in Moscow has also slammed the arrest, calling it shameful, and claimed that it was part of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s war with the Church, using fear tactics and repression to silence voices.







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