Public Outcry Over Illegal Beach Party Attended by MP

The "Jhoghovurd" newspaper reports that the beach party held at "White Shorja" near Lake Sevan, attended by MP Hayk Sargsyan from the "My Step" faction, continues to face widespread criticism as many attendees were seen without masks, smoking hookahs.

Following the public backlash, Sargsyan issued a public apology for attending without a mask. However, "Jhoghovurd" has uncovered significant details regarding the establishment of "White Shorja." It turns out that in May of this year, when preparatory work was being conducted for the beach's establishment, an inspector from the Sevan National Park recorded four types of violations: illegal land appropriation, breach of terrain, damage to flora and fauna, and illegal construction.

The illegal land appropriation stems from the fact that a citizen named Ruben Chakhmakhchyan had rented the area as far back as 2012, accumulated debts, and, according to some reports, left Armenia. The Park is currently entangled in legal disputes with Chakhmakhchyan over the collection of payments for the area. Since the land use right for that area expired after 2012, any ongoing activities there are considered illegal appropriation. Therefore, "White Shorja" is operating illegally.

This situation is further complicated by the involvement of Vahé Jilavyan, the interim Minister of Environment. It appears the Park's inspector was not satisfied with just one report (the first was recorded in May), as another one was filed two weeks ago for the same violations, yet no action has been taken against them.

Sources from "Jhoghovurd" indicate that Minister Jilavyan secretly "instructed" not to act on the reports; the reasons behind this decision remain to be speculated, despite the minister's spokesperson, Davit Grigoryan, stating that he could not comment on the matter.

We hope that after this publication, these serious violations will not go unanswered. Regarding Hayk Sargsyan, it should be noted that throughout the day yesterday, the MP denied that the property belonged to him and his brother, Nairi Sargsyan, who is an adviser to the Prime Minister. “The area does not belong to me. I know the owners of the beach,” Sargsyan told "Jhoghovurd".

However, rumors are circulating in the region that shortly after Chakhmakhchyan, it was the Sargsyans who took over the area, which is essentially operating illegally. Moreover, the newspaper was unable to find any official information about "White Shorja" as it was not registered in the state registry.

For more details, refer to the current issue of the newspaper.