Alexander Pracht
Armenian opposition leader Samvel Karapetyan was remanded into pre-trial detention on Thursday as part of a criminal investigation into alleged embezzlement, money laundering and abuse of authority at Electric Networks of Armenia, the utility company he owns.
Karapetyan was arrested on Wednesday after law enforcement officers searched his Yerevan residence and dozens of other locations connected to the case, including the home of his nephew Narek Karapetyan, a Strong Armenia member of parliament. Armenia’s Investigative Committee said criminal proceedings had been initiated against 36 people, including Karapetyan, accusing them of causing ENA more than $180 million in damages through embezzlement and money laundering.
In a statement following the court decision, Karapetyan’s Strong Armenia party accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of using the criminal case to pressure the opposition over proposed constitutional changes.
“By arresting Samvel Karapetyan again, Pashinyan is trying to force the adoption of Aliyev’s constitution through anti-democratic methods,” the statement said.
Karapetyan was first arrested in June 2025 after publicly siding with the Armenian Apostolic Church amid its confrontation with Pashinyan. He was charged with publicly calling for a violent change of government and money laundering, and was later released under house arrest.
His Strong Armenia party, founded in 2025, finished second in the June parliamentary election, winning 23.3% of the vote and 29 seats.
The latest investigation concerns ENA, which Karapetyan acquired in 2015. The government has been seeking to nationalize the utility since his initial arrest in 2025, citing its importance to national security and the daily lives of citizens. The takeover proceedings have yet to be completed.
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