Samvel Karapetyan sues France over seized villa on the French Riviera

Russia-based Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, the owner of Tashir Group, has initiated arbitration proceedings against France at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), part of the World Bank Group, Kommersant reported.

The move, filed in early June 2025, appears to be linked to a luxury villa belonging to Karapetyan that was reportedly seized by French authorities.

According to publicly available ICSID records, the dispute centers around real estate, though the full details of the case have not been disclosed. The villa in question, located on the French Riviera, is estimated to be worth €120 million.

Neither Tashir Group nor ICSID responded to media requests for comment.

Legal experts suggest that ongoing criminal proceedings against Karapetyan in Armenia could undermine his position in the case against France.

A court in Armenia has ruled to detain businessman Samvel Karapetyan for two months. The decision was made following a motion filed by the Investigative Committee, which the court granted in full.

Karapetyan was arrested on June 18 as part of an ongoing investigation.