A billionaire with Russian citizenship wants to run for prime minister of Armenia

Billionaire Russian citizen Samvel Karapetyan, currently under house arrest in Yerevan, has been declared a candidate for prime minister by the Strong Armenia party in the parliamentary elections scheduled for June. The new party announced the announcement at its presentation.

Samvel Karapetyan holds dual citizenship, which, according to Armenian law, precludes him from serving as prime minister or being elected as an MP. His entourage has announced their intention to initiate legislative amendments to overcome this barrier. Current regulations require prime ministerial candidates to hold exclusively Armenian citizenship for the past four years and permanently reside in the country.

Meanwhile, Strong Armenia is actively campaigning, opening offices and organizing meetings. The Armenian newspaper Hraparak notes that this activity is causing concern among the current government, which, according to the newspaper, is using its leverage to counteract him. Government officials are reportedly pressuring the owners of premises leased by Karapetyan's party to terminate their leases.

Karapetyan was arrested in June 2025 after speaking out in defense of the Armenian Apostolic Church (following Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's criticism of church representatives). The businessman is accused of calling for a coup d'état and advocating for Armenia's close integration with Russia. He was subsequently placed under house arrest.

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