New Security Service in Amulsar to Operate on Previous Principles; Jermuk Residents Win

The Armenian Environmental Front addressed the new security forces entering the Amulsar posts this morning, June 30. Below is the statement from the AEF:

“This morning, at dawn, armed individuals representing a new security company have invaded the area from the second ‘post’ of Amulsar. In the first minutes of their entrance, they killed three puppies belonging to a dog living at the post by running them over with vehicles. Shortly thereafter, residents of Jermuk, Gndevaz, and Kechut gathered in the area of the second post, and police also arrived. It can be assumed what the purpose of this demonstration is. A month ago, we wrote that such actions were to be expected... Our statement from May 27 literally says, ‘There are rumors that next week the miners in Amulsar are preparing some operation, the main tactic of which will be to provoke violent actions, involving the guardians of Amulsar, thereby justifying police intervention and clearing a path for transporting mining equipment near Amulsar.’ The struggle in Amulsar is a direct action of non-violent civil disobedience. This has also been noted in the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly, who emphasized that this struggle is not a provocation, a provocation, or the protection of other business interests, but rather a peaceful gathering aimed at defending the fundamental right of people to live in a clean natural environment.

For two years, with significant sacrifices and enormous dedication, the protectors of Amulsar have been defending the health and lives of all of us. The entire Jermuk community and tens of thousands of people from across Armenia and various corners of the world stand behind the protectors of Amulsar. This is evidenced by a petition with nearly 3,000 signatures, mass actions, and the substantial support that conscious individuals show for this struggle.

We hope that the organizers of the provocation will be uncovered and their actions will be prevented. We also expect the final cessation of this project, based on numerous violations and falsifications, by the Armenian government.”

The state must stop protecting a private company at the expense of the rights of the citizens. The offshore company Lydian has essentially ceased to exist, having passed to its creditors, yet for some unknown reason, the Armenian government continues to tolerate its threats. The presence of an armed security team in Amulsar is unacceptable; this practice must be eliminated immediately. It is an obvious threat of violence against the residents of communities opposed to the operation of the mine, and it appears that invading the area in this way has been deliberately done as a show of force. The organization conducting the security service could have been changed much more calmly and without any noise, rather than using the situation under emergency conditions as a pretext for escalation.

At present, as a result of discussions between the residents of the Jermuk community, the security service, and the police, it has been agreed that the new security service will continue to operate on the principles of its predecessor, meaning that only a few on-duty guards, 2-3 people, will remain in the Amulsar area, and they will not be armed, while the other security staff who are not on duty at that time will be accommodated in any hotel and will not stay in the Amulsar area.”

It should be noted that prior to this, representatives of the new security service, who came in to replace representatives from the “Panthera” security company, stated that even employees resting between shifts would remain in the Amulsar area, and they would rest right there, which was opposed by the activists protecting Amulsar.