On the weekend of October 13, at an AYF Eastern Region senior seminar, themed “Project Armenia”, AYF Seniors signed a letter addressed to President Serzh Sargsyan, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, and Vallex Corporation. The letter, reproduced below along with a selection of signatures, called on the parties to cease the illegal mining operations going on in Teghout forest unless and until a fair and non-biased Environmental Impact Assessment...
Environmental activists in Armenia are making a boat, to be christened The Teghout, entirely out of plastic bottles that they will eventually launch on the blue waters of Lake Sevan.
Internationally renowned musician and environmental activist Serj Tankian taped the following video calling on all concerned to participate in finding ways to save the Teghout Forest in Armenia’s Lori Region. The virgin forest is threatened by plans to operate a open mine in the area that will threaten the natural environment and cause a serious health hazard to local communities.
The Save Teghout Civic Initiative has sent an urgent appeal to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to stop illegal mining in Teghut, which violates human rights, national legislation of Armenia and international conventions to which Armenia is a signatory.
Vallex Group ChairmanValery Mezhlumyan, in an attempt to calm passions in the village of Teghout over a recent incident in which company security guards beat several village residents, travelled to Teghout and asked for forgiveness.
Responding to yesterday’s incident in the village of Teghout, the Vallex Group has issued a statement calling on all sides to wait until the local police have completed their investigation.
Residents blocked the road in force after an incident took place yesterday in which security staff of the Armenian Copper Programme’s subsidiary Teghout Ltd. had beat up several villagers.
Residents claim that members of the Armenian Copper Programme’s (ACP) security staff were irked when a local drove his car by, stirring up dust.
The civic group active in the defense of the Teghout Forest has written a letter to Catholicos Garegin II, urging the Armenian Apostolic Church to take a principled stand in defense of the country’s environment.