Robert Amsterdam, legal representative for businessman Samvel Karapetyan, has declared that “it is now an established fact that Armenia is governed by ‘telephone justice.’”
“Yesterday, while the hearing to extend my client’s detention was still underway, a media outlet owned by the Prime Minister’s family published the 'ruling' in advance,” Amsterdam wrote, according to Panorama.am .
He added that the court later formally confirmed this “preordained verdict,” extending Karapetyan’s detention by two more months.
“This is indisputable evidence that Armenia’s judiciary lacks independence and has become a tool for enforcing political orders. A man who came for his father’s memorial service has now been unjustly imprisoned for five months without any credible evidence and now faces two more months in custody.”
He called the situation “a brutal violation of legal, moral, and humanitarian norms,” asserting that pretrial detention is being abused as a tool of political pressure.
Amsterdam also linked Karapetyan’s arrest to economic developments, citing the Public Services Regulatory Commission’s (PSRC) decision to suspend the license of Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) as an “economic coup.”
“This raid is occurring despite an interim ruling from the Stockholm Arbitration Institute that explicitly prohibited the license cancellation. Armenia’s disregard for this arbitral ruling demonstrates utter disrespect for international law.”
“These parallel and coordinated actions have no basis in legal procedure. They amount to terrorism and serve narrow political and personal interests.”
He concluded: “We will use every available instrument under international law to defend Mr. Karapetyan’s investment and personal rights. Our team is determined to confront the Armenian government’s unlawful actions.”
The PSRC has revoked the ENA license held by Tashir Capital. Within three months, it will negotiate property ownership transfer with the company’s board. If talks fail, the state may seize ownership on grounds of public interest.
