Armenian opposition leaders and senior clergy have denounced the arrest of billionaire businessman Samvel Karapetyan, accusing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government of launching a politically motivated crackdown in response to criticism of its stance toward the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Karapetyan, 59, was taken into custody late on June 18 after a court in Yerevan approved his pre-trial detention on charges of inciting violent regime change. His arrest came just hours after a fiery social media outburst from Pashinyan, who branded the Russia-based tycoon a “scoundrel” and vowed to “interfere” in his affairs.

The move has sparked intense backlash from opposition parties and the church, which see it as part of a broader campaign by the government to silence dissent and weaken the influence of the church hierarchy.

“This arrest is a manifestation of Nikol Pashinyan’s fears,” said Anna Grigoryan, an opposition lawmaker from the Hayastan alliance, during a tense parliamentary session. “Why is Samvel Karapetyan now under arrest under this government and why is Ruben Vardanyan under arrest under the Aliyev regime [in Azerbaijan]? Because you both hate the Armenian people and Armenian statehood.”

Karapetyan, a prominent figure in the Armenian diaspora and one of the wealthiest individuals of Armenian origin, is known for his philanthropic support of the Armenian Church. Speaking in Echmiadzin on Tuesday, he accused the government of “attacking the Armenian Church and the Armenian people”, and warned that if political leaders failed, “we will also participate in all of this in our own way”.

Authorities said those remarks amounted to a veiled call for violent uprising, a claim his defence team has dismissed as baseless and politically driven. His lawyers filed an appeal on June 19, denouncing the arrest as unlawful.

Pashinyan’s office did not issue a formal statement on the case, but the prime minister took to Facebook just hours before Karapetyan’s detention, accusing him of threatening national stability. “Now I will interfere with you in my own way, you scoundrel,” he wrote.

The outburst and subsequent arrest drew strong condemnation from across the political spectrum. Former president Robert Kocharyan, leader of the Hayastan alliance, called the case “shameful” and said it highlighted the government’s growing authoritarianism.

“The only way out of this shameful situation is a change of government,” Kocharyan said in a statement. “Otherwise we will quickly slide towards total dictatorship, with unpredictable consequences for our statehood.”

The Armenian Church also weighed in. In a rare political statement, the Mother See in Echmiadzin condemned what it called “illegal actions” against Karapetyan. Several bishops joined a large crowd of supporters outside the Yerevan court building, denouncing what they viewed as an attack on religious freedom and civic expression.

In response, Hayk Konjoryan, the parliamentary leader of Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, accused the church of interfering with the judiciary and pressuring judges.

Karapetyan, who was born in Armenia and relocated to Russia in the early 1990s, has built a business empire estimated by Forbes at $4bn, primarily in real estate, energy and infrastructure. Though based abroad, he has retained close ties to Armenia and the church, frequently speaking out on political issues.

The arrest comes amid a broader political crackdown in Armenia, with dozens of opposition activists detained in recent days during Pashinyan’s trip to Turkey for high-level talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.