Protests against gold mining in Amulsar which began with the blockage of a road leading to the mine in 2018, continued, Amnesty International said in its annual report on Friday, assessing the protection of citizens’ right to healthy and sustainable environment in Armenia.
The report that documents the state of human rights in Eastern Europe and Central Asia in 2019,reminds that campaigners contested the results of the government commissioned Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Review.
“Despite the promise of hundreds of new jobs, local residents and environmental activists remained concerned about the potential social and ecological damage, including the negative impact on their livelihoods of predicted contamination of the mineral water of Jermuk, a spa resort and important tourism destination. The government stated it would go ahead with the project following publication of the review, but later reversed its decision and agreed to a further study on the environmental safety of the proposed mining,” reads the report.