Karapetyan's associate has been arrested in Armenia for two months.
Alik Aleksanyan, a member of the Strong Armenia opposition bloc, has been arrested on suspicion of money laundering and bribing Armenian residents to support businessman Samvel Karapetyan's political interests.
As reported by the Caucasian Knot, in preparation for the elections, the authorities have increased pressure on opposition supporters, including the Strong Armenia bloc. On June 2, the Anti-Corruption Committee announced that the head of the Strong Armenia office in the Byureghavan community of Kotayk Province is suspected of bribing a local resident to vote in their favor.
In April and May, the Anti-Corruption Committee announced that criminal cases had been opened against Strong Armenia members suspected of bribing voters. The statements were accompanied by the publication of recordings of conversations in which the size of election bribes and the conditions for supporting politicians were discussed. Strong Armenia denies the accusations, calling the recordings falsified. On May 29, candidate Gohar Meloyan called the recordings released by the Anti-Corruption Committee "shameful interference" in Strong Armenia's activities. According to her, Strong Armenia does not need to bribe voters.
Strong Armenia member Alik Aleksanyan has been arrested for two months, News.am reported today, citing the press service of the Investigative Committee of Armenia.
Aleksanyan was detained on June 2. A criminal case has been opened against him under articles on material incentives for participation in meetings and money laundering on an especially large scale, the publication writes.
According to investigators, since September 2025, Aleksanyan, as the founder and director of the public organization "Our Way - Protection of National Values," fictitiously employed approximately 1,400 people, some of whom worked for other companies. Most of those employed did not actually perform work, but visited the offices sporadically or did not work at all, Aysor.am reports.
The investigation claims that from October 2025 to March 2026, large sums were deposited into the accounts of this organization from entities associated with Samvel Karapetyan, including the Tashir charitable foundation, Intego Energy, and Tashir Capital.
The receipts were registered as donations and loans, and Aleksanyan, according to the investigation, used this money to "legalize criminal proceeds and provide material incentives for citizens" to participate in rallies and protests organized by supporters of the Strong Armenia party.
As a result, according to the investigation, approximately 763 million drams (approximately $2.07 million) were paid as salaries and other payments, the report states. Publications.
As a reminder, Tashir Group owner Samvel Karapetyan has been accused of calling for the overthrow of the constitutional order and economic crimes. In November 2025, an Armenian court extended his arrest, but on December 30, the businessman was transferred to house arrest. On April 17, the court extended Karapetyan's house arrest for another three months.
On April 17, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in parliament that the Strong Armenia party and the Armenia bloc should not overcome the electoral threshold in the parliamentary elections.
Parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for June 7. The "Strong Armenia" bloc of businessman Samvel Karapetyan, the "Armenia" bloc of former president Robert Kocharyan and the "Prosperous Armenia" party of oligarch Gagik Tsarukyan are the most pro-Russian participants in the upcoming elections. According to analysts, the parties of Samvel Karapetyan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Robert Kocharyan will be key competitors in the elections.
The opposition's fragmentation has not diminished amid the campaign and increased pressure: the main opposition parties are fighting for votes and political leadership. Representatives of the Strong Armenia party and the Armenia bloc emphasized the importance of partnership with Russia, but emphasized the need for the country to pursue an independent policy.
The June elections will effectively be a referendum on the future of the current government and Armenia's foreign policy, according to the Caucasian Knot report "2026 Elections to the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia".