On April 16, about 500 supporters of the opposition Armenian National Congress (ANC) held an action of protest in front of the RA Administrative Court.

Coordinator of the ANC Central Office Levon Zurabyan stated that grossly violated the law by deciding on written proceeding on a class suit brought against ArmRusgasprom.

“Today’s action has no precedents – 7,230 families put their signatures to a class suit, protesting against an economically unjustified sharp rise in the gas price for the population. However, on the authorities’ order, the Administrative Court is doing its best to minimize the possibility of public response to the proceedings. The law provides for oral proceeding on cases eliciting broad public response. We have gathered to demonstrate this public response,” Zurabyan said. The lawyer Vahe Hovsepyan handed the demonstrators’ application for oral proceeding on the suit over to the Administrative Court, whereafter the action was finished.

The RA Public Services Regulatory Commission approved ArmRusgasprom’s application for a rise in gas price from April 1, 2010. The current gas price is 132 AMD per cubic meter for the population and 243 AMD per cubic meter for large gas consumers.

T.P.