Former Ministry of Defense Building Is Hazardous, Says Badassian

The former building of the Ministry of Defense is in a hazardous state, and it is even dangerous to be there temporarily. This statement was made by Rustam Badassian, the head of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia, during a conversation with journalists.

The former Ministry of Defense building is under the balance of the State Revenue Committee, which is why residents of the area held a protest today demanding a proper response to their inquiry; otherwise, they would call for Badassian's resignation. The protesters questioned the claims that the building is hazardous and requested the results of the technical inspection.

“Every time I respond to these questions, I cannot understand what is so important about whether it is under the balance of the State Revenue Committee, the Ministry of Defense, or some other institution. State property has usage rules, and that building is hazardous, posing very serious safety issues. Even being there temporarily is dangerous for life and health. To my knowledge, the relevant government departments have provided housing for certain individuals and are addressing their issues within the framework of other social measures,” Badassian noted.

It is worth mentioning that the Armenian government transferred the former Ministry of Defense building to the balance of the State Revenue Committee in May 2022. Since September 2022, families, mostly from socially vulnerable backgrounds, have gradually taken residence in the building.

On January 23, citizens blocked the Yerevan–Aragatsotn highway demanding that the electricity cut off on January 20 be restored, but they did not achieve any significant results. No one came to negotiate with them, and the police managed to clear the road.

Since early morning on February 16, several dozen employees of the Armenian police have begun operations to evict residents of the former Ministry of Defense building. The citizens expressed outrage at the actions of the law enforcement officials, insisting that no one had warned them in advance. More than 20 people were subjected to administrative detention. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia announced that it is conducting necessary work to resolve the temporary housing issue within its authority. It was noted that a rent compensation program is also under discussion.