The government doesn’t intend to go to any unlawful compromises. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday noted this at the investment business projects’ forum, entitled “My Step for Shirak Province,” which is held in Gyumri, the administrative center of Armenia’s Shirak Province. He stated this referring to the recent events that unrolled in Ijevan town.

“It’s surprising to me that voices are heard in Armenia that unlawful logging was those people’s means of living,” he said. “This is an incomprehensible approach to me because (...) the bribe taken by a corrupt person is [also] the money of his livelihood; the money of livelihood of a thief is his theft. We will not go to such compromises.

“Today, we have already created a sufficient arena that the citizens of the Republic of Armenia have the opportunity to earn their money by creative work.”

Wednesday evening, numerous residents of Ijevan blocked the Armenia-Georgia interstate motorway in protest against the incumbent authorities’ tougher stance on illegal logging. There was a clash between demonstrators and police. Subsequently, the police detained several people from their homes. The demonstrators argue that they are able to make a living solely by logging.