Samvel Karapetyan Sues Pashinyan Over ‘Mushroom’ Remarks, Demands Facebook Live Apology

Armenian opposition leader Samvel Karapetyan has sued Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over comments made during the parliamentary election campaign, seeking a public apology and 3 million drams, about $7,800, in damages.

The lawsuit was filed Sept. 9, according to Armenia’s Datalex judicial database. Karapetyan, a billionaire businessman who now leads the country’s largest parliamentary opposition force, is currently under house arrest.

The case centers on remarks Pashinyan made during a May 29 campaign event in the northern Tavush region, where he responded to Karapetyan’s claim that the prime minister had consumed hallucinogenic mushrooms brought from China.

Pashinyan referred to “Samo from Kaluga,” an apparent reference to Karapetyan, who built much of his business career in Russia. He suggested that Karapetyan and people around him were familiar with hallucinogenic mushrooms and said he would make Karapetyan “eat mushrooms de jure in court” in front of everyone.

Karapetyan argues that the comments were insulting.

He is asking the court to order Pashinyan to apologize during a live broadcast on the prime minister’s official Facebook page. The lawsuit proposes that Pashinyan acknowledge the May 29 remarks as insulting and apologize directly to Karapetyan.

Karapetyan also wants the livestream to be titled as an apology to him and delivered without additional commentary or participation by third parties. His claim includes 3 million drams in damages, as well as reimbursement for court fees and legal expenses.

The lawsuit is the latest in an escalating legal fight between the two political rivals.

Pashinyan has already brought two separate cases against Karapetyan, seeking public retractions and a combined 12 million drams, about $31,000, in compensation. Those lawsuits concern Karapetyan’s claims that Pashinyan owns a house in Canada and that he imported and consumed hallucinogenic mushrooms from China.

Both cases have been accepted by the courts. An appeal related to an interim decision in one of them has also reached the Civil Court of Appeal.

The legal disputes are unfolding against a much broader political confrontation that began in 2025, when Karapetyan publicly backed the Armenian Apostolic Church as relations between its leadership and Pashinyan’s government deteriorated.

Karapetyan was later detained and charged with making public calls to seize power, accusations he has denied. He was subsequently placed under house arrest.

The confrontation also extended to Karapetyan’s business interests. Armenian authorities moved against Electric Networks of Armenia, the country’s main electricity distributor, which is owned by his Tashir Group.

Karapetyan later entered national politics as one of Pashinyan’s main challengers. His Strong Armenia alliance finished second in the June 7 parliamentary election and became the largest opposition force in Armenia’s National Assembly.

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