Hi John,
We’ve been campaigning for a while in solidarity with activists in Armenia to oppose the toxic plans of UK-registered mining company Lydian and their use of corporate courts.
Lydian’s plans for an opencast gold mine in the Armenian mountains, at Amulsar, have been stopped by community resistance for over a year. But sadly, after the threat of a corporate court case, the Armenian government just caved to corporate pressure and gave the go-ahead to the mine.
Corporate courts are a shadow legal system written into many trade and investment deals that allow transnational corporations to sue governments for decisions they think could affect their profits. Lydian’s threats over Amulsar are just the latest example of how corporate courts can crush democracy. We can’t stay silent.
Stand in solidarity
If you are on Twitter, can you tweet the Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan? And if you’re on Facebook, could you share our documentary about the #SaveAmulsar campaign?
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The campaign so far
Last year, following Armenia’s ‘Velvet Revolution’, the new prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, commissioned a review of earlier processes around the mine’s approval by the previous government. In the time since, Lydian has put intense pressure on the government, including through the threat of a corporate court case asking for a payout equivalent to two thirds of Armenia’s annual budget.
The review has now reported back. It found a string of omissions, inaccuracies and other problems in the earlier processes. However Pashinyan now wants to go ahead regardless, saying that if mitigating steps are taken, all will be fine.
We’re afraid that the government may now move to violently remove the local protestors who have been blockading the mine.
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Environmental activists protesting on Monday in Yerevan
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We’re seeing corporate courts in action – holding the government to ransom until it backs down. We need to call on the Armenian government to listen to its people, not to corporate pressure. And we need to keep campaigning to get rid of corporate courts for good!
In solidarity,
Jean Blaylock
Campaigner at Global Justice Now
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PS: If you or friends are anywhere near London, we’re holding an emergency protest at the Armenian embassy on Wednesday after work. Do join us if you can:
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