Employees of Tsarukyan`s Arinj Mall holdingprotest against paralysis  of part of shopping center

ArmInfo.  A protest is taking place outside the Arinj Mall shopping center, owned by the arrested leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP), Gagik Tsarukyan. Law enforcement officers have sealed off some of the mall's pavilions.

As one of the protesters told reporters, according to their  information, the pavilions were allegedly sealed due to the presence  of high-voltage power lines (HVPL) near the mall. Those gathered  point out that these HVPLs have been there for a long time, and the  issue is only being raised now. As a result, the protesters noted,  they were left without income and, moreover, risked losing their  employees.

During the protest, police prevented them from blocking the road  connecting the Artashat Highway and the Sevan Highway. As an  alternative, the protesters asked for help contacting the  Investigative Committee of Armenia (IC) so they could send an  official who could answer their questions. In response, the officer  suggested they write a petition to the IC. The protesters explained  that some of the pavilions were sealed on Monday, when Arinj Mall was  closed. They noted that they had not yet received any explanation as  to the reasons for this. "We can't constantly put such pressure on  people; what will we achieve with such steps? 

Today they close here, tomorrow they close somewhere else, and then  what? Let people work and earn a living," noted one protester.  According to them, a notice was posted on the shopping center door,  but they were never allowed to access it to find out why their  operations were suspended. They called it unacceptable that the  pavilions were closed without notice, and furthermore, that they were  never allowed to retrieve their personal belongings. "We are tenants  of these areas; we should have been notified in advance that we would  not be allowed in. So that we could at least retrieve our personal  belongings from the pavilions. The Investigative Committee never gave  us clear answers to our questions, only saying that the pavilions  would not be open, but that we would be allowed to retrieve our  personal belongings," said one of the shopping center employees.

The protesters also complained that the media was reporting incorrect  information, claiming that the entire shopping center was closed.  "Currently, 24 pavilions and a parking lot are closed (there are  about 1,000 pavilions in the shopping center in total - ed.). We  demand that the pavilions be reopened as soon as possible," said a  protester.

Armen Nersisyan, deputy director of the shopping center, reported  that during the protest, one of the owners of the sealed pavilion  became ill. An ambulance was called and he was hospitalized. "Our  lawyers will handle these issues; I haven't had a chance to speak  with them yet, and I don't know what stage these processes are at. I  don't think the Investigative Committee's statement about the  possibility of confiscating personal belongings is a solution. People  shouldn't be treated like this. If there are any issues, we are ready  to resolve them, including using our own resources. The people are in  poor condition, and they have goods there," Nersisyan stated.

During the protest, police forces prevented protesters from blocking  the road, restricting their access to the opposite side of the road.

As a reminder, on July 6, Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous  Armenia Party and businessman, was detained and taken to the  Investigative Committee of Armenia. He is accused of organizing fraud  and money laundering on an especially large scale. According to  investigators, between 2022 and 2024, a group operating under his  leadership, under the pretext of developing trade and economic ties  between Armenia and Iran, created joint legal entities with the  participation of Iranian citizens, after which they carried out a  fraudulent scheme, causing damages totaling over $21 million.  Furthermore, Gagik Tsarukyan faces another charge of illegal hunting.  On July 7, the court granted the prosecution's motion to detain  Tsarukyan for two months. As part of the case, on July 6, law  enforcement agencies conducted searches at more than 70 addresses  associated with Tsarukyan. The doors of all businesses were  subsequently sealed.

On July 16, the Prosecutor General's Office announced that the  Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia had upheld their claim to transfer  Tsarukyan's Arat cement plant to state control. The nationalization  of Tsarukyan's factory began after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan threatened to nationalize Gagik Tsarukyan's business during  the election campaign in the Lori region on May 20. On July 16, it  was also announced that the Multi Wellness building, owned by Gagik  Tsarukyan, had been transferred to the Yerevan Municipality.