Armenia: Additional protests are likely in Yerevan into late December in reaction to the closure of the Goris-Khankendi/Stepanakert highway

Event

Further sporadic protests are likely in Yerevan through at least late December in reaction to recent closures of the Goris-Khankendi/Stepanakert highway in Azerbaijan. Activists allege that the closures of the thoroughfare are a deliberate action by the Azerbaijani government in Baku to put pressure on the ethnic Armenian residents of Nagorno-Karabakh. On Dec. 13, protesters began assembling at Freedom Square in front of the opera house in the Armenian capital at 15:00 before marching to several diplomatic missions in the city, including those of France, the UK, the US, the UN, and the EU, at 16:00. Armenian leaders have also called for a special meeting of the National Assembly to formulate a response concerning the issue.

Authorities will almost certainly deploy increased security during any future demonstrations that may materialize. Such gatherings could occur near prominent locations in Yerevan, including government legislative or security organizations and various foreign embassies or trade missions. While most protests will probably remain largely peaceful, isolated clashes cannot be completely ruled out.

Context

Azerbaijani environmental activists have been blocking the Goris-Khankendi/Stepanakert highway sporadically since early December to protest what they assert is the illegal exploitation of gold and copper deposits in areas patrolled by the Russian peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) the action escalated Dec. 12-13. The thoroughfare is an important transport route linking the Republic of Armenia with the primarily ethnic Armenian-populated city of Khankendi (Stepanakert) via the Lachin Corridor.

While the Azerbaijani government insists that the environmentalists engaged in the action are private individuals, the government of Armenia alleges that the administration in Baku has deliberately created the situation as a means of exerting political pressure by preventing supplies from reaching ethnic Armenians in NK.

Advice

Avoid all demonstrations if operating in Yerevan. Allow additional time to reach destinations near potential protest sites. Strictly heed the instructions of local authorities. Leave the area at the first sign of any security disturbance.