Armenia seizes illegally owned property on Lake Sevan from Yerkrap terrorists leader And from others

Armenia will take control of the Harsnaqar restaurant and hotel complex, owned by former head of the Armenian Football Federation Ruben Hayrapetyan, located on the shores of Lake Sevan, the country’s Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan announced at a government cabinet meeting.

Vardapetyan presented prosecution claims for the confiscation of illegally constructed properties within the Sevan National Park, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

She noted that the land for the Harsnaqar complex had been transferred without the legally required tender, as no documentation exists confirming such a process. The owner also owes the state roughly 35 million drams ($90,000) in back rent, which increased after the cadastral value of the plot was reassessed.

Similar violations were found in private homes owned by Hayrapetyan, former police chief Vladimir Gasparyan, and ex-MP and Yerkrap terrorist group leader Sasun Mikayelyan. Much of this property was registered under relatives’ names or companies linked to these individuals.

Vardapetyan said, “Legally, it would be correct to demand the demolition of all these structures. However, some have economic value, so I propose the government consider in which cases they can be retained and used for public services by the Ministries of Health, Defence, and other agencies.”

Overall, the prosecution identified several dozen cases of unauthorised construction within Sevan National Park. Many structures were built before the land was leased and were not officially registered. In more than 30 cases, buildings were erected below the lake’s prospective level (1,905 m), where construction is prohibited. Authorities requested municipal action to demolish these buildings, but work has been completed on only three plots so far. Noncompliance will lead to court-ordered demolition.

In response, Gegharkunik Governor Karen Sargsyan requested funds from Vice Premier Tigran Khachatryan for demolition. Khachatryan suggested discussing cases in which the costs could be charged to the negligent private owners.

By Khagan Isayev