A Former MP from the Republican Party Plays a Role in the Tensions in Ijevan

The Armenian Times reports that despite certain circles describing the clashes that occurred in Ijevan late last night as a confrontation between individuals collecting wood from the forests for everyday needs and the police, the reality of the issue is quite different.

In the forests of Tavush, massive and industrial-scale logging has been taking place for years. This is a highly lucrative business, and stable clans have formed around the profits generated from it. They previously felt secure in their operations. However, after the revolution, the situation changed and the current authorities began to take steps to halt industrial logging. In recent days, pressure has increased, and the problem has escalated.

The aforementioned clans, which have even managed to establish small wood-processing factories in the region and have been “pulling boards” from illegally cut trees, have organized these so-called “protests” by taking advantage of some remaining semi-criminal influence. They blocked the interstate road. Among the participants in these protests, there are undoubtedly some who genuinely believe that this “struggle” is rooted in social issues, but many in Tavush are convinced that these events serve the very specific business interests of certain groups. And not just business interests.

The media outlet has received information that a prominent former Republican Party MP from the National Assembly has played a role in inciting these “protests.” Over the years, this individual has managed to establish serious businesses in the region. He primarily pursues political interests through these disturbances, believing that the protests will contribute to the decrease in the approval rating of the current government, and has, of course, discreetly supported their “spectacle.”

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