The Armenian daily newspaper Past (Fact) writes:

The statements made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev during a global media forum held in Shushi—a highly symbolic city in the conflict-torn Nagorno-Karabakh region—once again reveal the deep anxieties the Azerbaijani leadership harbors regarding Armenian international influence. Specifically, Aliyev expressed strong dissatisfaction with various international bodies and prominent figures. Among them were Josep Borrell, the former foreign policy chief of the European Union, and Luis Moreno Ocampo, the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Both figures had previously demanded the opening of the Lachin Corridor—the vital humanitarian road that connected Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh—and had characterized Azerbaijan's blockade of the region and the subsequent forced displacement of its Armenian population as a genocide.

In his speech, the Azerbaijani leader claimed that Ocampo's advocacy had been funded by a "Russian-Armenian oligarch" who is currently under house arrest in Armenia. Although Aliyev did not mention any names, subsequent public reactions made it clear that the individual in question is Samvel Karapetyan, a highly prominent billionaire businessman and philanthropist of Armenian descent.

In any normal country, having a public figure with the international stature and resources to cultivate high-level global connections—connections that directly rattle the leadership of a hostile neighbor—would be a source of national pride and a powerful tool for advancing state interests. However, the reality in Armenia today is quite different. Instead of leveraging this immense potential for the national good, the Armenian government is keeping this influential figure under house arrest, restricting his freedom, and using the state apparatus to put immense pressure on him and his businesses. This approach not only damages national security and social cohesion, but it also serves as a stark example of how the current Armenian administration is prioritizing internal political vendettas over vital state interests, ultimately playing directly into the hands of foreign adversaries.