Armenian oligarch Samvel Karapetyan taken into custody amid major investigation Video

Armenian businessman and owner of Russia-based Tashir Group, Samvel Karapetyan, has been transferred to the Investigative Committee of Armenia as authorities launch a criminal case against him.

Karapetyan, a prominent oligarch with close ties to Russia, left his private residence overnight, accompanied by law enforcement officers, according to local reports, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced plans to nationalise the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), a joint-stock company currently owned by Karapetyan.

“I believe the time has come to nationalise the Electric Networks of Armenia. This will be done swiftly, and my goal is to ensure that all employees of the company continue to fulfil their duties diligently,” Pashinyan said in a statement published on his official Telegram channel.

The move signals a significant shift in Armenia’s domestic energy policy and could mark the beginning of broader economic reforms targeting foreign-held assets.

To recall, Samvel Karapetyan, prominent Armenian-Russian businessman and head of the Tashir Group, warned that if Armenia’s political leaders fail to halt Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), he and his associates will intervene.

Karapetyan condemned attacks on the Church, highlighting its millennia-old significance to the Armenian people.

Shortly after his statement, Armenian media reported Karapetyan’s detention by law enforcement, though official details remain unclear.

Police have also begun searching his home and detained several individuals.