Several residential buildings in the town of Tsaghkadzor, built on public land, have been put up for sale under false names according to “Hetq”. These properties are being sold by individuals such as former Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan, former Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan’s sister-in-law Hranush Aghajanyan, and former community head of Hrazdan Aram Danyelyan. Lawsuits have been filed to return these illegal constructions to the government, but the process has been delayed. Similar lawsuits have also been filed by the Hrazdan community. The sale of these lands is currently being attempted.

A list published on Mher Mkrtchyan Street in Tsaghkadzor announced the sale of approximately 4.5 hectares of illegal construction land. The property is described as suitable for a hotel complex or residential buildings and is being sold for $4 million. “Hetq” previously published an article titled “Officials Illegally Legalize 50 Hectares in Tsaghkadzor” in 2018, which identified one of the areas as belonging to Tsaghkadzor’s former mayor’s sister-in-law, Hra Aghajanyan. The land was originally purchased by Levon Suvaryan in 2006 and later sold to Sveta Hakobyan, wife of former Deputy Minister of Justice Hovakim Abrahamyan’s son, in 2007.

Another area on Mher Mkrtchyan Street, covering approximately 1.25 hectares, is also being sold by “Aray” construction company. The current owner, Karen Sukiassian, acquired the land after the original owner stated that he was unaware of its purchase and only signed documents for the transfer of money. Sukiassian sold the area for 12 million drams. A third territory, approximately 1.55 hectares, is also up for sale in Tsaghkadzor. The current owners, Natalya Mangozian and Anna Martirosyan, have listed the land as suitable for building houses and are selling it for $466,500.

The current owners of these illegally obtained lands have plans to move to another country after selling their properties. Some lands have been returned to the government through legal action, but it remains challenging to pursue the illegal actions of previous owners. Lawsuits related to illegal land in Tsakhkadzor and Hrazdan have been delayed due to the pandemic. The defense argues that the government owns the illegally occupied land, while the community is owned by private individuals. Despite some lands being returned to the government, many pending lawsuits remain regarding illegal land occupation.

The Tsakhkadzor and Hrazdan communities have also attempted to sell lands currently under illegal occupation.