Activist Artur Chakhoyan, who criticizes the activities of the Yerevan City Hall, has once again been attacked. He reported this on his Facebook page.

“Six days ago, I posted a video showing how close associates of Tigran Avinyan built an illegal, unpermitted market on a 500 sq.m. municipal plot worth $360,000 at 2/5 Bagyan Street. On the day of filming that video, I was attacked by a group of drunk people, who prevented me from filming the market constructed through the corruption of Tigran Avinyan’s associates. I reported the incident to the police; a criminal case was opened, and three people were ‘arrested,’ then later released.

Six days later, yesterday, I went to the same location to film a new video and compare how an illegal building can be constructed in Yerevan on a 500 sq.m. $360,000 municipal plot without a construction permit, with no reaction from law enforcement. Meanwhile, in Gyumri, during the rule of the Civil Contract party, a self-built structure that was subject to demolition led to the arrest of Gyumri’s mayor, Vardan Ghukasyan—but not Tigran Avinyan. Yesterday, at the same site, the same associate of Tigran Avinyan, who had already been ‘arrested’ six days ago, attacked me again along with a group of people and stole my phone.

For yesterday’s incident, the police arrested an elderly man—not Tigran Avinyan’s associates, who attacked me and stole my phone. Of course, they wouldn’t arrest Tigran Avinyan’s associates. Imagine if this had happened with a member of the Civil Contract party—everyone would have been arrested immediately and detained for two months.

Honestly, I don’t believe anyone besides the elderly man will face full legal responsibility for this incident. If I’m wrong about the illegal actions carried out by Tigran Avinyan’s associates, then let Avinyan deny it or go and demolish that illegal market, just like he ‘demolishes’ other illegal structures.

If there is neither denial nor demolition, then it exists exactly as I said. Tell me, who can convince me that a self-built, illegal structure—without a construction permit—has been built on a 500 sq.m. $360,000 municipal plot right in front of the Masiv district administration, construction lasting over a year and still unfinished, and that Tigran Avinyan is unaware of all this?”