Armenian Court Rules Against Protesting Citizens of Northern Avenue

Court of General Jurisdiction of Kentron and Nork-Marash Administrative Districts in Yerevan satisfied on Thursday the suit filed by Local Developers company [owned by businessman Samvel Mayrapetyan, from the inner circle of the second Armenian president Robert Kocharyan] against residents of 25 Teryan St. Heghine Udumyan and Kima Vardapetyan, obliging the citizens to leave their apartments on Northern Avenue in downtown Yerevan within two months, Vardan Geravetyan (pictured), resident of 23 Teryan St. and protest participant, told Epress.am after the announcement of the verdict on June 4.

Judge Ara Melkumyan rejected the counterclaim filed by the citizens demanding the recovery of their right to private property. 

Udumyan and Vardapetyan, as stated by Geravetyan, plan to appeal the court's ruling; however, since the investigation into a number of similar cases still continues, the first verdict against the citizens suggests that the others might also be in favor of the company, the source alleged.

More than 25 residents of the buildings at 23, 25 Teryan St. and 37 Lalayants St. have been fighting for their right to property. The citizens have received letters saying that they could not sell their apartments to anyone except Local Developers company. The company claims that they are offering a price set by the law – the market value plus 10%. However, the residents claim that they have been offered 2 1/2 times lower than the market value. The alternative to offering money would be an apartment in another building. The residents, however, are not pleased with the latter option either, saying that the conditions in the proposed building are not satisfactory. 

Note, the buildings are among the last old structures of Northern Avenue. Under Robert Kocharyan’s presidency the whole territory was announced eminent domain and a large portion of former residents were evicted from their homes by force. They refused to leave their homes due to their dissatisfaction with the level of compensation they were offered, which was a few times lower than market value.