Karapetyan's associate Artur Avanesyan ended his hunger strike.

Arrested representative of the Strong Armenia party, Artur Avanesyan, ended his hunger strike after a call from party leader Samvel Karapetyan.

As reported by Caucasian Knot, on April 27, a court ordered Artur Avanesyan, an associate of Strong Armenia party leader Samvel Karapetyan and a participant in the fighting in Karabakh, to be arrested for two months. "Avanesyan is on a hunger strike against political persecution in Armenia," Areg Hovsepyan, a representative of Strong Armenia, posted on Facebook* on April 29. Tashir Group owner Samvel Karapetyan is accused of calling for the overthrow of the constitutional order and economic crimes. In November 2025, an Armenian court extended his arrest, but on December 30, he was transferred to house arrest. On April 17, the court extended Karapetyan's house arrest for another three months.

Strong Armenia Party supporter and intelligence officer Artur Avanesyan, also known as Kandaz, has ended his hunger strike, News.am reported today, citing his lawyer, Armen Feroyan.

Armen Feroyan visited his client at the Vardashen Correctional Facility, where Avanesyan is currently being held. The lawyer confirmed that his client has decided to end his hunger strike, Armenpress reports.

"Today, Artur Avanesyan ended his hunger strike at the insistence of Strong Armenia party leader Samvel Karapetyan. Avanesyan's spirit and will are strong, and his faith in Strong Armenia is unwavering," the lawyer stated.

The lawyer also noted that a complaint has been filed with the Court of Appeals regarding Avanesyan's unlawful detention. "We hope that Artur Avanesyan's hunger strike will also serve as a signal to investigators, prosecutors, and judges about the need to immediately end Avanesyan's illegal detention. Even if this doesn't happen, 'Strong Armenia' will very soon become a reality, changes will occur, and there will no longer be political persecution or political prisoners in Armenia," the lawyer added.

It's worth noting that the most pro-Russian parties in the Armenian parliamentary elections are Samvel Karapetyan's Strong Armenia, Robert Kocharyan's Armenia, and Gagik Tsarukyan's Prosperous Armenia. The Kremlin is banking on Karapetyan, but he is legally barred from running in the elections, Armenian political scientists previously noted.

The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report titled "2026 Elections to the National Assembly (Parliament) of Armenia".