"Sartex" responded to Hetq's publication, 14 October 2022

[Summary translation prepared by Business and Human Rights]

...Director of "Sartex" Suren Mkrtumyan published a rebuttal, in which, in particular, it is mentioned that the information in the article does not correspond to reality...

Hetq spoke with the former production director Gevorg Gevorgyan...

In the rebuttal published by the company, it was [...] mentioned that the protest was organized by the former director of production. Gevorg Gevorgyan once again insisted that he never organized any activity...

Hetq contacted one of the employees of the company, who resigned after the strike. Our source wished to remain anonymous and said that s/he decided to quit because s/he did not know what would happen to the employees after the strike. They were threatened with dismissal and non-payment of salary for that month.

Another employee, who also wished to remain anonymous, reported that some of the employees of "Sartex" company, who participated in the strike, resigned. Others continue to work.

According to our source, the information that the strike was organized by 4 people and the former director of production, and that 30 people participated in it, doesn't correspond to reality. All employees wanted to join the strike, but they were locked in their offices and were not allowed to leave. According to our source, no deductions were made from salaries of tailors who resigned.

According to director Suren Mkrtumyan, 30 people gathered in the yard of the company's building for the strike, yet Hetq's camera recorded more than 100 employees participating in the strike.