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Police Controls Assemblies in Shnogh
Nov 5, 2014
On November 1st, 2014, several members of Save Teghut Civic Initiative
visited Shnogh community where they planned meetings with community
members to present information about Danish investments in the
copper-molybdenum mining project.
When we entered the village, the police patrol was parked in the main
square and there were a few police officers in uniform and others
without uniform.
We were preparing for the meeting in the culture house of the
community, when the district police officer (without uniform) entered
and without presenting his position started interrogating what we were
doing, what kind of topics were we going to discuss etc. Some time
later he entered the meeting room with another man, who did not
present himself and said that he is interested in the meeting as a
community representative.
For the community participation in this public meeting was made
impossible in the presence of the police and allegedly also the
national security services. Many villagers felt constrained to even
enter the building of the meeting because their public appearance in
that venue was going to be recorded by the police and Vallex workers
who were also around.
Control and environment of fear obstruct organization of public
discussions in Shnogh and Teghut communities. Residents we talked to
said that they have relatives or family members who work in the mine,
and if they speak to us about Vallex or complain, their relatives will
be fired.
Save Teghut Civic Initiative condemns the approach of the policy and
calls upon them not to serve the interests of Vallex Group.
http://teghut.am/en/2014/11/police-controls-assemblies-in-shnogh/
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Nov 5, 2014
On November 1st, 2014, several members of Save Teghut Civic Initiative
visited Shnogh community where they planned meetings with community
members to present information about Danish investments in the
copper-molybdenum mining project.
When we entered the village, the police patrol was parked in the main
square and there were a few police officers in uniform and others
without uniform.
We were preparing for the meeting in the culture house of the
community, when the district police officer (without uniform) entered
and without presenting his position started interrogating what we were
doing, what kind of topics were we going to discuss etc. Some time
later he entered the meeting room with another man, who did not
present himself and said that he is interested in the meeting as a
community representative.
For the community participation in this public meeting was made
impossible in the presence of the police and allegedly also the
national security services. Many villagers felt constrained to even
enter the building of the meeting because their public appearance in
that venue was going to be recorded by the police and Vallex workers
who were also around.
Control and environment of fear obstruct organization of public
discussions in Shnogh and Teghut communities. Residents we talked to
said that they have relatives or family members who work in the mine,
and if they speak to us about Vallex or complain, their relatives will
be fired.
Save Teghut Civic Initiative condemns the approach of the policy and
calls upon them not to serve the interests of Vallex Group.
http://teghut.am/en/2014/11/police-controls-assemblies-in-shnogh/
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