ArmInfo. Human rights activists Ara Karagezyan and Nina Karapetyants, as well as other citizens who oppose the exploitation of the Amulsar mine, were detained near the government building.
According to the press service of the Ombudsman's Office, after an alarm was received that the protesters were detained, and on the basis of monitoring social networks on behalf of the human rights defender, the rapid response team of the Ombudsman's Office left for the RA Police department.
It is reported that representatives of the Ombudsman's Office will hold separate conversations with the detained persons, including human rights activists, get acquainted with the reasons for the arrest, find out whether the rights of the latter have been violated. "The Human Rights Defender, within the framework of his powers, continues to focus on the developments around the development of the Amulsar mine," the Ombudsman's Office said in an official statement.
It should be noted that the situation at the Amulsar gold mine has escalated after the Lydian Armenia security organization dismantled the carriage- houses, which provoked indignation of ecologists and a number of local activists. As a result, the current situation around the mine remains extremely tense. Reinforced police squads have been pulled to the crowded area. The protests are taking place for the third day in a row.
To recall, environmental activists oppose the development of the mine, believing that it can cause irreparable damage to the flora and fauna of the entire region. For a long time they have been blocking all approaches to Amulsar, preventing them from expanding the scope of work. The Amulsar mine is the second largest in Armenia. According to the company, the deposit contains about 73,733 kg of gold with an average grade of 0.78 g / t, as well as 294,367 tons of silver with an average grade of 9.29 g / t. It is located in the south-east of the country, 13 km from the resort town of Jermuk, between the rivers Arpa and Vorotan. Environmentalists and ordinary citizens are concerned that the developmentof the mine may lead to the pollution of the mineral groundwater in Jermuk and Lake Sevan. In addition to the water basin, the public is also concerned about the possible presence of uranium reserves at the deposit. The total cost of the Amulsar project is $ 370 million. The life of the deposit is 10 years and 4 months, with an average of 200 thousand ounces of gold planned to be mined annually. We add that Lydian Armenia, which develops the mine, is a subsidiary of the British offshore Lydian International.