Lawyer Aram Vardevanyan criticized attempts to interfere with Samvel Karapetyan’s property rights amid detention, as parliament passed the ENA nationalization bill.

Aram Vardevanyan, a member of detained businessman Samvel Karapetyan’s legal team, called the possible nationalization of the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) “absurd.” Speaking to reporters, he condemned what he described as an attempt to confiscate business property under the cover of legal detention.

“It’s absurd that someone is detained and at the same time there’s interference in their property rights—that is, a person is jailed so they can try to take his business,” said Vardevanyan, according to Sputnik Armenia.

On July 2, Armenia’s National Assembly passed a bill in its first reading that outlines the potential nationalization of ENA, supported by 65 votes from ruling party lawmakers.

The legislative amendments concern the laws “On the Public Services Regulatory Commission” and “On Energy.” Under the bill, if the commission identifies serious violations in a company’s operations, it will be authorized to replace its leadership. In such cases, the commission can temporarily remove the network's owners and transfer control to a state-appointed manager. The temporary manager must have at least five years of professional experience in energy or management.

Separately, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated on Facebook that ENA employees involved in “political scheming” would be dismissed in July. He added that those coercing staff to attend rallies would also face prosecution.