Last week, Lydian International issued a statement complaining that police in Armenia have failed to comply with a court order to remove all trespassers and their property from the Amulsar gold mine site.

Lydian Armenia CJSC, Lydian International’s subsidiary in Armenia, has now taken the police to court over the matter.

Activists and local residents opposed to the mine near the town of Jermouk in Armenia’s Vayots Dzor Province have blocked roads to the site for the past year.

In a statement released on May 18, Mr. Edward Sellers, Interim CEO and President of Lydian International said: “Lydian had welcomed the recent rulings of Armenian courts in support of Lydian’s position with respect to illegal road blockades.  Lydian has been deprived of its legal right to operate since June 2018.  We consider the Court’s ruling to be a recognition of the illegality of the trespassing and a call to the Police to restore Lydian’s uninterrupted access to its property at Amulsar.  Until full access to the Amulsar site has been restored, Lydian considers that the Police have not fulfilled their obligations to enforce orders of the Court.  Lydian will pursue all legal options to protect its rights.” 

Lydian Armenia first sued the police in September 2018. In April of this year the administrative court ordered the police to guarantee the company uninterrupted access to site.

The company says the blockade has resulted in huge financial losses.