Former Human Rights Defender of Armenia Arman Tatoyan has warned that the Armenian government's July 23 response to the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce arbitration decision regarding the "nationalization" of the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) signals a dangerous precedent of legal arbitrariness and undermines the country's international credibility.
In a Facebook post, Tatoyan criticized the government's stance as an indication that Armenia is willing to disregard international treaties and obligations if they do not align with the personal or political preferences of its leaders. “Refusing to comply with the decision opens the door to arbitrariness,” he wrote.
Tatoyan recalled that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had already expressed personal views on the ENA case, saying it was a guarantee for preserving “the taste of the state in the mouths of certain people.” Tatoyan argued that such remarks cast an illegitimate shadow over the entire process.
He further condemned official propaganda claiming that the non-compliance with the arbitration ruling serves Armenia’s sovereignty. “This logic opens the door to arbitrarily rejecting any international court ruling—including those from the European Court of Human Rights—simply because it displeases the Prime Minister or is deemed politically inconvenient.”
Such behavior, Tatoyan warned, inflicts significant damage on Armenia’s international standing and investment reliability. “This case revealed a total failure of state institutions—because what we have is a system of personal rule and party dominance.”
He emphasized that the legal resolution is straightforward: Armenia’s courts should only assess whether to enforce the Stockholm decision without reviewing the case’s substance. The only valid reason for rejection would be if enforcement violated public order.
Tatoyan argued that the government’s efforts to frame the case as a matter of public security are aimed at manipulating this exception. However, the Prime Minister has already made it clear that the issue holds personal and political weight for him, he noted.
On July 22, 2025, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce emergency arbitration ruled that Armenia must not apply recent legislative provisions concerning ENA and must halt any steps toward its potential expropriation. The Armenian government responded by claiming the arbitration scope differed from the reasoning behind appointing a temporary manager, asserting that all parties must still abide by Armenian law.
