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    Hovik Karapetian
  • 4 years ago
    • Categories: 2020

RFE/RL Armenian Report – 08/08/2020

                                        Saturday, August 8, 2020

Ex-Police Chief Threatens Azatutyun Reporters Working Near Lake Sevan
August 08, 2020
        • Robert Zargarian

Former Police Chief Vladimir Gasparian (file photo)

Former Armenian Police Chief Vladimir Gasparian on Saturday obstructed the work 
of an RFE/RL Armenian Service (Azatutyun) crew working on a report about 
government plans to dismantle some private houses illegally constructed near 
Lake Sevan.

Gasparian, who served as Armenia’s police chief for seven years before being 
dismissed from this post after the change of government in May 2018, drove his 
vehicle in the direction of two Azatutyun reporters, almost running over them, 
after seeing that they were filming in the lakeside area where his house is 
presumably located.

Gasparian further threatened to physically destroy the reporters, using phrases 
like “I’ll shoot you” and “I’ll slaughter you”. Using offensive language the 
former police chief demanded that the reporters not show his house in the report.

The RFE/RL Armenian Service has reported the incident to police.

The Azatutyun reporters were working on a follow-up story after newly appointed 
Environment Minister Romanos Petrosian said this week that authorities will 
start the process of dismantling illegally constructed facilities and housing 
near Lake Sevan already on August 10.

According to media reports, a number of houses belonging to several former 
high-ranking officials, including Gasparian, are affected by the decision.

Earlier this week the newly appointed minister ordered the dismantling of a 
lakeside resort where a party with the participation of a current pro-government 
lawmaker had been staged in breach of coronavirus safety rules set by the 
authorities.

Minister Petrosian then said that the turn was now for illegally constructed 
facilities and housing around the lake that environmentalists say is endangered 
by them.


Armenia - A view of Lake Sevan, 8Aug2020

“Here we have no legal issues, as there are no ownership rights pertaining to 
these territories, consequently there are no prospects of legal actions [against 
the government],” the minister said.

Environmentalists argue that illegal structures – both business facilities and 
private houses – greatly damage the lake’s ecosystem, as a result of which for 
several years now the usually blue Sevan waters have been turning green because 
of vegetation at some places during the summer.

An environmental plan for Lake Sevan, which lies at 1,900 meters above sea 
level, aims to raise its level, and the buildings that are to be demolished lie 
below the level to which it is to be raised.

Raising the level of the lake, the largest body of fresh water in Armenia, has 
been the stated goal of consecutive Armenian governments.


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2020 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
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