Stockholm court ruling blocks ENA nationalization; no mention of Karapetyan’s detention
Civilnet
By Elen Muradyan
CivilNet has obtained the emergency ruling issued by the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) in the case between jailed billionaire Samvel Karapetyan and the Republic of Armenia.
In the July 22 decision, the emergency arbitrator ordered the Armenian government to suspend all actions aimed at nationalizing the Electricity Networks of Armenia (ENA). The ruling specifically bars the authorities from altering the company’s management, appointing a temporary administrator, amending its charter, revoking licenses, seizing or selling assets, or restricting ENA’s normal business operations.
At the same time, the arbitrator rejected all other motions filed by the claimants—but did not specify what those motions were. The ruling simply states: “All motions not granted above are hereby dismissed.”
This phrasing leaves open the question of whether Karapetyan’s legal team requested his release from detention—and if such a request was among those dismissed.
Several state-affiliated media outlets, including the website of Armenia’s Public TV channel, claimed the court had rejected a motion to release Karapetyan. However, those reports offered no sources or documentation. The ruling reviewed by CivilNet contains no explicit mention of Karapetyan’s detention.
To clarify whether the SCC has jurisdiction to address detention-related matters, CivilNet submitted a written inquiry to the Arbitration Institute. Specifically, can the SCC issue orders requiring a government to release an individual from custody? A representative of the institute responded that the answer depends on the specific arbitration agreement and applicable legal framework—and therefore, the SCC could not provide a general comment.
According to a report published by Global Arbitration Review, Karapetyan’s legal team—represented internationally by Russian firm Ivanyan and Partners and domestically by the Council for the Defense of Samvel Karapetyan—has not disclosed the details of the arbitration claim.
Karapetyan’s legal representatives in the arbitration include Kristofor Ivanyan, Andrey Gorlenko, and Anna Avdulova, all from the Moscow-based law firm Ivanyan and Partners.
The Stockholm ruling is a temporary emergency measure. It will expire if the parties do not initiate full arbitration proceedings within 30 days, or if a permanent tribunal is not established within 90 days.
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