In Armenia, in the parliamentary elections held on June 7, the second place was taken by the Strong Armenia bloc.
This bloc represents three parties. The leading force is the Strong Armenia Party led by Samvel Karapetyan.
The current results indicate that Samvel Karapetyan has become the leader of the main opposition in Armenia.
Medianews.az reports that Samvel Karapetyan was born in 1965 in the present-day city of Tashir.
In 1986, he graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, worked at a factory in his hometown, became its director, and later turned into its owner.
In 1992, he moved to Russia and started his business activity. Initially, he was engaged in logistics and supply, then in the real estate sector.
In 1999, he founded the "Tashir" group of companies. This holding rapidly became one of the largest private business groups in Russia. The group of companies is active in construction, real estate, energy, trade, logistics, hotel, and service sectors.
Samvel Karapetyan is considered one of the wealthiest Armenians in the world, with his fortune estimated at several billion dollars.
Karapetyan, who built his main business in Russia, has also invested in the Armenian economy. His holding has participated in Armenia's energy sector, trade projects, and various infrastructure programs. In particular, the management of Armenia's electric networks is considered one of his most important assets.
Samvel Karapetyan is also known for actively financially supporting the occupying regime in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, and at the same time, he is recognized as one of the patrons of the Armenian Apostolic Church, allocating funds for the construction and restoration of churches as well as the social programs carried out by the church.
In 2021, Samvel Karapetyan announced his readiness to invest approximately 600 million dollars in the modernization of Armenia's energy system.
In 2025, when relations between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the Armenian Apostolic Church became strained, Samvel Karapetyan openly defended the church and criticized the government. Afterward, the conflict between him and the authorities escalated openly; a search was conducted at Samvel Karapetyan's residence, and he was arrested on charges of calling to forcibly seize power. Subsequently, the process of transferring the electric network company under Samvel Karapetyan's control to state control began. This step further deepened the confrontation between the government and the billionaire.
Samvel Karapetyan, who was released to house arrest in December, founded the Strong Armenia Party in January 2026.
Pashinyan and his supporters call Samvel Karapetyan an oligarch serving Russian interests.
Samvel Karapetyan also holds Russian and Cypriot citizenship. In April 2026, he declared that he had started legal procedures to renounce the citizenship of these two countries.
Samvel Karapetyan has three children – two sons and a daughter. His eldest son Sərkis works in managerial positions within the "Tashir" holding and is considered one of the heirs to the family business. His daughter Tatevik also holds a high position at "Tashir." She leads the entertainment and film business divisions of the holding and is recognized as one of the prominent female managers in Russian business circles. The rest of the family members try to stay away from the media.
Samvel Karapetyan has been awarded the "Silver Cross" prize by the Union of Russian Armenians. The Russian Orthodox Church has honored him with the Order of "Saint Daniil of Moscow" both II and III degrees, as well as the "Order of Glory and Honor" II degree.
For his contribution to the restoration of the Kronstadt Saint Nikolay Naval Church, Samvel Karapetyan was awarded an honorary diploma by the President of Russia. In 2003, he was gifted a named watch by the President of Russia.
On April 28, 2021, a criminal case was initiated against Samvel Karapetyan in Azerbaijan on charges of illegally transporting weapons and ammunition to Karabakh, and he was placed on the international wanted list. According to official information, he is accused of planning, preparing, or starting an aggressive war; creating a criminal organization for committing serious or especially serious crimes; illegally acquiring, providing to others, selling, storing, carrying, or transporting firearms, explosives, and devices by an organized group; creating or participating in armed formations or groups not provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, equipping them with weapons, ammunition, explosives, military equipment or military supplies; and smuggling by an organized group.