A former top government lawyer dismissed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan last week has doubled down on his criticism of the state takeover of the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), the national power utility owned by jailed billionaire Samvel Karapetyan.
Pashinyan vowed on June 18 to “quickly” nationalize ENA, hours after Karapetyan was arrested for denouncing the premier’s campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church. Parliament soon passed legislation granting the state “temporary” management powers over the utility, with the option of nationalization or a change of ownership.
Karapetyan’s Tashir Group responded in July by launching arbitration proceedings in Stockholm. The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) issued an interim order blocking Armenia from seizing ENA, altering its management, or revoking its operating license until a final verdict. Yerevan refused to comply, and the Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC)—led by a Pashinyan ally—went ahead with replacing ENA’s top executives.
Liparit Drmeyan, the government’s chief lawyer in international courts, privately warned the PSRC that Armenia was obliged to honor the SCC’s order. “I am the government … no one can have a position that contradicts my position,” Pashinyan shot back on August 28. Drmeyan was dismissed the next morning.
In an interview published Wednesday, Drmeyan defended his stance: “I acted solely from a position of professionalism.”
Justice Minister Srbuhi Galian confirmed that the government will continue ignoring the injunction. “The arbitration body essentially tried to force us not to enforce an existing Armenian law. Doing so would mean going against public order,” she told reporters.
Karapetyan’s representatives argue this defiance only strengthens their $500 million claim against Armenia for what they call an unlawful expropriation of Tashir’s largest Armenian asset.
