abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

24 May 2010

Author:
Kristine Aghalaryan, Hetq Online

Eminent domain: in whose best interest? [Armenia]

41 residents of the Artavaz village...have launched a suit with the Administrative Court, seeking to overturn a government decision that has re-zoned 96 nearby hectares as in the “prevailing public interest” and allocating them to the A&M Rare company...Economics Minister Nerses Yeritsyan argued the merits of the public domain decision by stating that it was vital for the construction of a water bottling plant...The investment proposal to build such a plant was made by a company called Swiss Rare S.A...Attorneys...who will be representing the villagers in court, point out in their suit that their clients “right to property”...has been violated, given that the “prevailing interest” is not that of the public but rather the commercial interests of...a corporation...“...[T]he parcels of land re-zoned as in the ‘prevailing public interest’, are...sources of vital, life-sustaining interest for the villagers and rural economies,” note the plaintiffs.