Armenia: Sporadic protests likely in Yerevan through mid-January in reaction to closure of Goris-Khankendi/Stepanakert highway

Event

Further sporadic protests are likely in Yerevan through mid-January 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 (NK). As of Jan. 11, protesters have continued to gather to denounce the Yerevan government’s position and to demand further action; on Jan. 9, several hundred protesters demonstrated outside a Russian military base in Gyumri, and over 60 were arrested. Further demonstrations are likely.

Authorities will almost certainly deploy increased security during any future demonstrations that may materialize. Such gatherings could occur near prominent locations in Yerevan, including Freedom Square, 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 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. Since Dec. 13, protesters have gathered in Yerevan to call on the government to take further measures to resolve the blockade. Tens of thousands of demonstrators also gathered in Khankendi/Stepanakert on Dec. 25 to denounce the blockade. Hundreds of activists marched through the city center Dec. 31.

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.