Pashinian pledged to “quickly” nationalize the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) company on June 18 hours after Karapetian, was arrested following his strong criticism of the premier’s campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Armenian parliament approved on July 2 a bill allowing the government to “temporarily” take over ENA’s management before nationalizing the company or changing its owner.
Karapetian’s Tashir Group launched arbitration proceedings in Stockholm later in July as the government began enforcing the controversial law through the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC), a supposedly independent body headed by a political ally of Pashinian.
In an interim win for Karapetian, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) ordered the government shortly afterwards to refrain from confiscating ENA from Tashir, changing ENA’s top management or revoking its parent company’s operating license pending a verdict in the case. The government and the PSRC refused, however, to reverse their decisions to replace the top company executives with members of Pashinian’s Civil Contract party and other government loyalists.
It emerged earlier this month that the top government lawyer representing Armenia in international courts, Liparit Drmeyan, sent a letter to the PSRC warning that the authorities in Yerevan have to comply with the SCC order. RFE/RL’s Armenian Service asked Pashinian about that warning during a news conference on Thursday.
“I am the government … no one can have a position that contradicts my position,” he replied. “In general, if there are people in the government who have a position that contradicts my position, they must immediately tender resignation and leave [government] buildings. Or else, I will fire them myself.”
Drmeyan’s dismissal was announced the next morning. The official did not immediately comment on his ouster.
National Security Service officers raid the headquarters of Electric Networks of Armenia, Yerevan, July 8, 2025.
Pashinian’s blunt remarks drew a scathing response from Narek Karapetian, the jailed tycoon’s nephew and the chairman of ENA’s board of directors.
“Our legal team thanks Prime Minister Pashinian,” he wrote in a social media post. “One more such statement, and our final victory in the arbitration court will be inevitable.”
Tashir is seeking as much as $500 million in compensation for what it sees as an illegal “expropriation” of its biggest asset in Armenia. The conglomerate headquartered in Moscow has dismissed government allegations that it has mismanaged the country’s electricity distribution network, saying that they are part of Pashinian’s politically motivated crackdown on Karapetian. The latter pledged to set up a new opposition group and strive for regime change following his arrest.
Pashinian reaffirmed on Thursday that the government will not comply with the SCC order. When asked about possible consequences of that stance, he claimed only that his government has “won in the arbitration court.”
Meanwhile, Pashinian’s “I am the government” claim was denounced by leaders of the existing opposition groups. They said it not only contradicted his past statements that “there are 3 million prime ministers in Armenia” but was also illegal.
One of them, Levon Zurabian, argued that under Armenian law, government decisions are made by a majority of the cabinet members, and not just the prime minister. Pashinian’s statement therefore constituted abuse of power, Zurabian said, adding that he will submit a corresponding “crime report” to Prosecutor-General Anna Vardapetian.
Speaking to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service on Friday, Zurabian admitted that he does not expect Vardapetian, whom be branded as Pashinian’s “pocket prosecutor,” to bring criminal charges against the premier.
