New Opposition Group Forming in Armenia to Challenge Pashinyan in 2026 Elections; ‘Our Way’ Says It Will Not Work With Former Leaders

A new opposition group is forming in Armenia and plans to challenge Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the 2026 parliamentary elections. The group, called “Our Way,” says it will not work with Armenia’s former leaders.

The movement is being organized under the leadership of jailed Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, a well-known businessman with strong ties in Moscow. On Thursday, his nephew, Narek Karapetyan, told reporters that “Our Way” will not cooperate with the current opposition parties linked to former presidents Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan.

“Samvel Karapetyan’s team will come up with its own political message, its own political way, our way,” Narek Karapetyan said.

According to Narek Karapetyan, the goal is to form a technocratic government in Armenia — one led by experts rather than career politicians. Samvel Karapetyan is expected to lead the movement, even from jail.

Samvel Karapetyan was arrested in June after publicly criticizing what he described as Pashinyan’s campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church. At the time, he told News.am: “I have always stood by the Armenian Church and the Armenian people. If politicians fail, we will intervene in the campaign against the church in our own way.”

Prosecutors treated these words as a call for a violent overthrow of the government and charged him accordingly. He was later also accused of fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering.

Karapetyan has denied all charges, calling them politically motivated. His lawyers say his detention is illegal. On Thursday, a court extended his imprisonment by another two months.

Even from jail, Karapetyan is seen by some analysts as a figure with the resources and influence to reshape Armenian politics. Many voters are unhappy with both the current government and the traditional opposition. Surveys suggest these disillusioned citizens now make up the largest part of the electorate, and “Our Way” appears to be targeting them directly.

At a July press conference, Pashinyan said that Karapetyan would need to renounce his Russian citizenship before entering Armenian politics.

Political observers have speculated that former Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan (no relation to Samvel Karapetyan) might lead “Our Way” in the upcoming elections, scheduled for June 2026. Karen Karapetyan has criticized the prosecution of the tycoon, but he has not confirmed whether he will join the movement.

When asked about these rumors, Narek Karapetyan neither confirmed nor denied them.

For now, “Our Way” is working to define its own political identity while its leader remains behind bars. 

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