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EVICTED RESIDENTS PROMISED NEW APARTMENTS CONTINUE TO PROTEST THOUGH DON'T BELIEVE ISSUE WILL BE SOLVED (VIDEO)
epress.am
01.16.2012
Residents promised units in new buildings constructed on Aram,
Yekmalyan, Buzand and Saryan streets were protesting outside the
Armenian president's residence earlier today. The reason? In 2006,
they were evicted from their homes, which were demolished to make
way for new buildings. They signed an agreement with Gapbnakshin LLC
Gagik Papoyan who promised them units in the new buildings, but the
evacuated residents still haven't received their apartments - in fact,
the units have been sold to third parties.
"In 2006, my home was demolished. They were supposed to construct
[the new building] in two years; they haven't; then later it became
known that even after it's built, my apartment has been sold to someone
residing in Russia. We don't know what to do, who to contact. They say
builder Gago Papoyan has escaped; they've issued a judgment against
someone else. We have found ourselves in an uncertain state," one
40-year-old man participating in today's protest told Epress.am.
The residents assert that Papoyan is simply a pawn and that there are
others more higher up in the food chain behind him, which is why the
issue hasn't been resolved. They named former mayor Yervand Zakaryan
as one of the people behind Papoyan.
Demonstrators said on Nov. 28, 2011, they sent a letter to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan, asking him to get them "out of this
inextricable situation and help those who have been thrown onto the
street by their compatriots in their own homeland not to lose their
last hope to achieve justice."
In response to the residents' letter, staff at the presidential office
said they did not have the authority to deal with this issue and
advised the signatories to take the matter up in court. Thus, on Dec.
29, 2011, the case was sent to Armenia's Special Investigation
Service. Residents, however, say they don't believe they will achieve
anything through the law or with the court's assistance.
"This is our last hope - the country's president has to understand
that citizens of this country are on the street," said one participant
in today's demonstration.
The group today sent another letter to the Armenian President, again
asking him to settle this issue. Head of the Presidential Oversight
Service Hovhannes Hovsepyan met with several demonstrators in his
office today. After the meeting, demonstrator Sona Maghakyan said
Hovsepyan urged them to wait until the parliamentary elections.
"We won't see anything after the elections - this means to run after
a [moving] train. We will continue our protest demonstrations also
through sit-ins. We have nothing to lose; let the president think
[about it]," she said.
>From the presidential residence, protestors marched to the Kentron
(central) administrative district Notary Office and asked notary
Alvard Melkonyan to provide explanations regarding their current
situation. Melkonyan, however, refused to give any information,
saying she too was deceived as she also acquired a unit in one of
the new buildings and she can't say anything.
"The case is in court. It'll be clear what will happen after the
court procedure," she said.
Protestors then marched to the Special Investigation Service (SIS)
offices, where they met with Vaghinak Janazyan who is investigating
the case. Janazyan informed them that SIS needs months to examine
the case, since hundreds of people have to be questioned. Needless
to say, residents weren't too pleased about this and left the office,
preparing to continue their protests.
From: Baghdasarian
epress.am
01.16.2012
Residents promised units in new buildings constructed on Aram,
Yekmalyan, Buzand and Saryan streets were protesting outside the
Armenian president's residence earlier today. The reason? In 2006,
they were evicted from their homes, which were demolished to make
way for new buildings. They signed an agreement with Gapbnakshin LLC
Gagik Papoyan who promised them units in the new buildings, but the
evacuated residents still haven't received their apartments - in fact,
the units have been sold to third parties.
"In 2006, my home was demolished. They were supposed to construct
[the new building] in two years; they haven't; then later it became
known that even after it's built, my apartment has been sold to someone
residing in Russia. We don't know what to do, who to contact. They say
builder Gago Papoyan has escaped; they've issued a judgment against
someone else. We have found ourselves in an uncertain state," one
40-year-old man participating in today's protest told Epress.am.
The residents assert that Papoyan is simply a pawn and that there are
others more higher up in the food chain behind him, which is why the
issue hasn't been resolved. They named former mayor Yervand Zakaryan
as one of the people behind Papoyan.
Demonstrators said on Nov. 28, 2011, they sent a letter to Armenian
President Serzh Sargsyan, asking him to get them "out of this
inextricable situation and help those who have been thrown onto the
street by their compatriots in their own homeland not to lose their
last hope to achieve justice."
In response to the residents' letter, staff at the presidential office
said they did not have the authority to deal with this issue and
advised the signatories to take the matter up in court. Thus, on Dec.
29, 2011, the case was sent to Armenia's Special Investigation
Service. Residents, however, say they don't believe they will achieve
anything through the law or with the court's assistance.
"This is our last hope - the country's president has to understand
that citizens of this country are on the street," said one participant
in today's demonstration.
The group today sent another letter to the Armenian President, again
asking him to settle this issue. Head of the Presidential Oversight
Service Hovhannes Hovsepyan met with several demonstrators in his
office today. After the meeting, demonstrator Sona Maghakyan said
Hovsepyan urged them to wait until the parliamentary elections.
"We won't see anything after the elections - this means to run after
a [moving] train. We will continue our protest demonstrations also
through sit-ins. We have nothing to lose; let the president think
[about it]," she said.
>From the presidential residence, protestors marched to the Kentron
(central) administrative district Notary Office and asked notary
Alvard Melkonyan to provide explanations regarding their current
situation. Melkonyan, however, refused to give any information,
saying she too was deceived as she also acquired a unit in one of
the new buildings and she can't say anything.
"The case is in court. It'll be clear what will happen after the
court procedure," she said.
Protestors then marched to the Special Investigation Service (SIS)
offices, where they met with Vaghinak Janazyan who is investigating
the case. Janazyan informed them that SIS needs months to examine
the case, since hundreds of people have to be questioned. Needless
to say, residents weren't too pleased about this and left the office,
preparing to continue their protests.
From: Baghdasarian