Armenia`s Qajaran village head Rafik Atayan resigned from his post and membership of Republican Party.

Syunik Region`s Qajaran village`s head Rafik Atayan informed "Azatutyun" radio station that he had resigned from his post and on Dec. 15 was going to refuse the membership of RPA (Republican Party of Armenia), protesting like this against the tension towards him and his leading community.

On 14 December, EcoLur received an alarm that around 14:30-15:00 p.m. two police officers came to Qajaran Village Head RafikAtayan’s house (Syunik Region) and convened him to Qajaran Police Head’s office. After several hours of the village head’s absence, the villagers managed to find out that Atayan had been taken to Kapan police station. As of 17:30 p.m., Qajaran villagers were standing in front of Kapan police station. They have concerns this is a kind of pressure to make the village head sign under the agreement, that gives lands areas recognized as eminent domain under government decision № 627-N to Zangezour Copper and Molybdenum Combine.

It’s already several months since Qajaran village has been demanding to annul the government decision № 627-N and refusing to sign the document on land transfer by stating this means enforced displacement of a whole village.

 Villagers demand to call back the government decisions, because if ZCMC proceeds to the mine development next to the village, the whole village will have to be displaced.