A group opposed to building a 33-meter statue of Jesus Christ atop Mt. Hatis, some thirty kilometers northeast of Yerevan, has filed a court case to annul the sale of land on the site to a charitable organization run by prominent businessman Gagik Tsarukyan.

The Green Armenia Environmental and Educational NGO wants the court to invalidate the land sales that took place earlier this year, via an auction, that allowed the foundation to buy large plots of Mt. Hatis from the Kotayk community of Akunk at rock bottom prices.

Gagik Miskaryan, a member of the Hatis civil initiative that opposes the planned statute, told Hetq they plan to file a case with the courts to prevent any other structures on the mountain.

In July, Akunk Mayor Hunan Rubenyan told Hetq that only Tsarukyan’s foundation participated in the land auctions. Rubenyan said the idea to build the statue on Mt Hatis is “magnificent” and will spur development in the region and the entire country.

The Armenian government has given a preliminary green-light for the controversial project. In July, PM Nikol Pashinyan was quoted as saying that the 33-meter-tall statue would be a boon for tourism.