The verdict in the Amulsar case has been published
After 9 years of legal proceedings and approximately 17 court sessions, the Administrative Court has partially upheld the citizens’ appeal regarding the gold mining project in Amulsar. The lawsuit against the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure has been partially satisfied. Additionally, the publications by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources concerning the extension of the mining area’s boundaries and the modification of the permit period for mining and mineral extraction have been declared invalid. The remaining parts of the lawsuit have been dismissed.
This means that the decisions or actions made by the ministry regarding the expansion of the Amulsar mine or the extension of its operation period no longer have legal force. The operation of the Amulsar mine cannot currently proceed lawfully. This implies that the mining process will either slow down or come to a halt until new permits are issued.
The right to operate the Amulsar gold mine was granted to “Lydian Armenia” based on legal and economic justifications. However, environmentalists argue that the process lacked sufficient transparency and failed to ensure environmental protection. The environmentalists have pointed out that mining operations could harm Armenia’s water resources, particularly Lake Sevan, as the underground waters in the Amulsar area are interconnected with the lake. The operation of the mine could potentially lead to the leakage of toxic substances or heavy metals into the underground waters.
Around 11 residents and two public organizations filed a lawsuit on April 2, 2015, against the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, and the Expert Commission on Lake Sevan Preservation of the National Academy of Sciences.