Demolish Kiosks Not in 3 Years, But Now: Environmentalists Appeal to Prime Minister

Among the environmental activists who have been protesting in Mashtots Park for nearly a month, human rights attorney Meri Khachatryan today delivered a letter to Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, asking him on behalf of the group to remove from tomorrow’s government meeting agenda the item on dismantling the kiosks in the park after three years and opt to dismantle the kiosks immediately instead.

Recall, according to the Armenian government’s official website, a government decision on “retaining the Yerevan mayor’s authority” authored by Yerevan mayor Taron Margaryan is included in the Mar. 15 government meeting agenda.

“The contents of this draft [item] proves that Yerevan city and Armenia’s executive authorities have not CORRECTLY [caps in original] understood our, the public’s, demand in the matter of Mashtots Park.

“We emphasize again the construction and placement of pavilions/kiosks in the aforementioned area is ILLEGAL [caps in original] and contradicts Yerevan’s master [city] plan. We are convinced that there is no construction project that includes the installation of the retail pavilions moved from Abovyan St. to the Mashtots Park segment of the main avenue’s public green space as part Yerevan’s master plan and concept with the zoning plan in the Kentron [central] administrative district,” reads the letter, in part.

Recall, the activists yesterday began a non-stop sit-in in the central Yerevan park. Last night, police allowed only one tent to be pitched, while 27 activists spent the night.