Activists in Armenia continue to protest Amulsar gold mine, despite arrests; says HRW World Report
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 22 Jan 2021
Location: Armenia
Companies
Lydian Armenia CJSC - Subsidiary , Lydian International - Parent CompanyProjects
Amulsar deposit - OperationAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Public: ( Number unknown - Armenia , Mining , Gender not reported )Issues
Protests , Protection from arbitrary arrest, detention or exile , Freedom of AssemblyResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Source type: NGO
အကျဉ်းချုပ်
Date Reported: 22 Jan 2021
Location: Armenia
Companies
Lydian International - Parent Company , Lydian Armenia CJSC - SubsidiaryProjects
Amulsar deposit - OperationAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Human Rights Defender: ( 3 - Armenia , Mining , Gender not reported ) , Public: ( Number unknown - Armenia , Mining , Gender not reported )Issues
Protests , Freedom of Assembly , Protection from arbitrary arrest, detention or exileResponse
Response sought: Yes, by BHRRC
Source type: NGO
![](https://media.business-humanrights.org/media/images/1200px-Hrw_logo.svg.2e16d0ba.fill-1000x1000-c50.png)
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch World Report 2021: Armenia
Despite Covid-19-related restrictions, protests against plans to restart construction on the Amulsar gold mine continued throughout the year. Protesters are concerned with the mine’s potential environmental and health impacts. Protests escalated towards the end of July, when private security personnel hired by the mining company removed makeshift cabins used by the protesters and replaced them with booths to be used by the security company. The escalation led to clashes with police. On August 4, police arrested more than 10 people, including protesters and security personnel. Several protesters accused the police of using excessive force in detaining protesters.
On August 6 and 10, protesters in Yerevan, observing social distancing, staged single person-pickets in support of the Amulsar protests. Police briefly detained them, citing Covid-19 restrictions. Among those detained were human rights defenders Nina Karapetyants, Zaruhi Hovhannisyan, and Ara Gharagyozyan. On August 6, authorities also banned a bicycle rally in support of the Amulsar protests, detaining several bikers. Police pressed misdemeanor disobedience charges and released all detainees within hours. Authorities did not interfere with further protests in support of Amulsar days later...