Victoria Burnazyan, EcoLur
On 1 November 2007 under the guidance of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan the Armenian Government reached decision №1278–N to change the status of 81.483 ha land area belonging to Shnogh and Teghout Communities aiming to develop Teghout copper and molybdenum mine, as well as to change the status of forest resources to that of industrial significance with the following substantiation: these land areas have exclusive and prior public interest.
This decision was protested by environmental public, political parties and a part of the local population in Teghout and Shnogh, and eventually, became a subject matter of court proceedings…
…On 24 March the Administrative Court of RA dismissed the suit filed by “EcoDar” NGO against the Armenian Government, the Ministry of Nature Protection of RA, and the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of RA. ACP Company, a part of “Vallex” Group Company, was recognized as the third party of the proceedings. The plaintiff demanded to recognize a number of governmental decisions and documents null and void, including the government decision №1278–N, the basis for Teghout mine development project…
…Vallex Company is also involved in other court proceedings with the participation of Shnogh Teghout community locals. The locals are not satisfied with the compensation amount suggested by the company for their lands – from 37 to 65 AMD for one square meter…
…Before the project implementation the cadastral value of the land made up 222 AMD for one square meter. Under Teghout resident Samvel Meliqsetyan, Vallex Company made employees – land owners sell their lands at low prices. Then the new value for the lands was determined with the help of “Oliver Group” LLC that conducted land assessment: from 3 to 6 times lower than the former price. “Teghout” CJSC brought an action demanding to transfer these land areas to the company’s ownership by paying appropriate compensation. More than 70 owners in Teghout and Shnogh refused to give their lands at such a low price. Under Serob Osmanyan, one of these landowners, farmers having sued by the company cannot cultivate their lands, while “Teghout” CJSC doesn’t employ them…
…Besides the abovementioned proceedings, Teghout resident Hrant Harutyunyan and Shnogh resident Vardan Vardanyan brought an action against “Teghout” CJSC to the European Court of Human Rights accusing the company of inappropriate land assessment…
March 31, 2010