Karapetyan: 2 of 4 jailed billionaires in the world are Armenian
Narek Karapetyan, a relative of businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan, reflected on the commitment of Armenian elites, stating that despite common perceptions, “our leaders are ready to endure hardship.”
He cited Аrchbishop Mikael of Shirak as an example, saying the clergyman could have remained silent and avoided the consequences, “but he could not stay quiet.” According to Karapetyan, Archbishop Mikael made no worldly gains from his protest, “only suffering”, yet chose to speak out for truth and the homeland.
Karapetyan emphasized that only four billionaires are imprisoned worldwide, and two of them are Armenians, both prosecuted under what he called “nationally motivated charges.” This, he claims, shows that the Armenian nation is still alive and worthy: “Its richest, most powerful sons are willing to suffer for their people, their land, and their God.”
He urged Armenians to feel pride rather than despair in these times, noting: “Let us take pride in the fact that such people still exist.”
On June 18, Samvel Karapetyan was detained for two months, charged with making public calls to seize the powers of the Armenian government. His arrest came hours after publicly expressing support for the Armenian Apostolic Church.
In Baku, another detained Armenian billionaire is former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan. He was arrested months after relocating to Artsakh before its depopulation. Azerbaijani authorities accuse him of war crimes, despite his lack of involvement in military actions.
