A senior figure in a new Armenian political party founded by the family of detained Russian-Armenian tycoon Samvel Karapetyan has sparked a public backlash after suggesting there would be “no unsatisfied woman” in the country if his movement came to power.

The remarks were made by Sargis Karapetyan, the billionaire’s son and a co-founder of the Strong Armenia party, during a podcast released on January 31, prompting accusations of sexism from politicians and activists. Strong Armenia plans to run in parliamentary elections scheduled for June 2026. 

In the episode of the Triangle podcast, co-hosted by Karapetyan and Levon Sargizov, a guest sociologist claimed that rising online political activism among Armenian women was driven by sexual frustration, as reported by OC Media.

Armen Khachikyan told the hosts that a lack of sexual satisfaction among mostly middle-aged women was fuelling angry social media comments and political engagement.

“Can we now actually say that in a strong Armenia there will be no unsatisfied woman?” Karapetyan asked his co-host after Khachikyan’s remarks, OC Media reported.

Sargizov hesitated, joking that a ministry would be needed to oversee such a task. Khachikyan then suggested a hypothetical “Ministry of Sex”, to which Karapetyan replied that Armenia’s demographic problems could not be solved “without sex”.

The exchange sparked criticism from politicians and other commentators in Armenia. 

Sona Ghazaryan, a lawmaker from the ruling Civil Contract party, called the comments “pure sexism” in a Facebook post. “Let's put aside that Sargis can't speak Armenian and didn't even master this word in the pre-election period, but what he says is pure sexism,” she wrote. “Deprive women of being subjects, bringing them down to the level of masculine fantasies and sinful promises. THIS IS DISGUSTING... return to the past will not be with all its manifestations.”

In a video posted to Instagram after the backlash, Karapetyan said his words had been taken out of context, according to OC Media. He accused the current leadership of failing the population, saying that “our people are being destroyed from within” through drug addiction, gambling and other social problems.

Strong Armenia grew out of a political movement launched by Samvel Karapetyan’s supporters under the banner “In Our Own Way” after his arrest. Less than a month later, he announced plans to create what he described as a “fundamentally new political force”.

Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sought to reduce the country’s reliance on Russia and deepen ties with Western partners, including by raising the prospect of eventual European Union membership.

Pashinyan has led Armenia since 2018, coming to power after the so-called Velvet Revolution on an anti-corruption platform. His popularity, however, declined following Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 war with Azerbaijan and the subsequent loss of control over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan improved after a White House-hosted peace summit in August 2025, but domestic political tensions remain high. Critics accuse him of making excessive concessions to Azerbaijan, a sensitive issue ahead of parliamentary elections due in 2026. Pashinyan has also been embroiled in an increasingly public dispute with the Armenian Apostolic Church, which has criticised his policies and leadership.