Meghradzor Residents Demanding: No to Cyanide, For Sake of Our Children (Photos)

EcoLur

“No to Cyanide, For Sake of Our Children”, “Save Meghradzor”- with such posters Meghradzor Village held a protest demonstration near the President’s seat on 25 January. Over 500 people put their signatures under the application addressed to the president – to stop the construction of a cyanic plant in Meghradzor. “We have a poor environmental situation. Meghradzor Gold Company has opened the mine and all the dust I blown off to our direction, now plus cyanide…The company said, if any of its employees will speak about cyanide, let them write their notice of resignation…The situation in the village is very tense, the company acts so as the brother goes against his brother… In the morning, when we were leaving the village for the protest demonstration, they phones and told us that the administration ordered its employees to urgently gather signatures in the favour of the project in their families, otherwise they will be fired…,” said protestors. The letter with Meghradzor residents’ demand was handed to Aida Asatryan, Head of Letters and Reception of Citizens of President’s Staff. The problem was presented by Meghradzor villagers Karen Hovhannisyan, Arsen Kirakosyan, Samvel Mkrtchyan and EcoLur President Inga Zarafyan. At the end of the meeting Meghradzor residents stated they have two concrete demands: the first is to stop the construction of a cyanic plant in Mehgradzor. The second is to hold public hearings in the village to find out how Meghradzor Gold Company proceeded to the opencast development of Meghradzor gold mine.

Reminder: Meghradzor Gold Company held two public hearings on the construction of a cyanic plant, where only company employees voted for the company, while other villagers dealing with agriculture voted against. Nevertheless, the environmental expertise received a letter signed by Village Head Karlen Hovhannisyan, which said the villagers assess the project positively. Later it turned out that the decision was adopted unilaterally during the discussions on 23 December 2012, which was presided not by the village head, but Meghradzor Gold Company director Vardan Margaryan, which was mainly attended by company employees.

January 25, 2013 at 16:43