Public Hearings to Address Environmental Concerns over Proposed Jesus Statue in Akunk, Armenia
Public hearings are set to take place on February 26, 2025, in several communities within the Akunk municipality of Kotayk region, Armenia, concerning a significant environmental impact assessment report. The report pertains to the construction of a monumental Jesus Christ statue complex, a project initiated by the “Gagik Tsarukyan” Charitable Foundation. These hearings, mandated under Armenian law, mark the second phase of public consultation on a project that has already stirred considerable public and official scrutiny due to potential environmental and cultural heritage implications.
Scheduled Public Hearings Across Akunk Communities
The public hearings, as officially announced, are scheduled to occur across multiple administrative locations within the Akunk community. Starting at 11:00 AM in Zovashen, continuing at 12:30 PM in Hatis, 2:00 PM in Kotayk, and concluding at 3:00 PM in Akunk itself, these sequential hearings aim to gather public feedback on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. This schedule, while adhering to legal requirements for public consultation, also suggests a potentially complex and multifaceted project impacting several localities within the Kotayk region. The sequential nature of the hearings may reflect an attempt to engage directly with each affected community, though it also presents logistical challenges for consistent public participation across all sessions.
Background: Initial Approvals and Prior Activities
The current public hearings are not the inception of this project. In October 2024, the Akunk community council approved a preliminary agreement (Decision No. 68-A) for the “Gagik Tsarukyan” Charitable Foundation to construct the monumental statue complex on Hatis Mountain, within the administrative territories of Akunk, Zovashen, and Hatis settlements. Concurrently, the community leader issued Permit No. 875-A, authorizing land levelling activities for the project. These prior approvals, preceding the comprehensive EIA report and public hearings, have raised questions about the procedural sequence and the extent to which environmental and heritage considerations were initially integrated into the project’s planning stages.
Concerns over Environmental and Cultural Damage
Information from media sources indicates that preliminary works undertaken by the “Gagik Tsarukyan” Charitable Foundation as early as 2022-2023 have already resulted in damage to Hatis Mountain’s summit and a historical-cultural monument located within the area. These reports of pre-hearing environmental and cultural damage are particularly concerning, suggesting that irreversible impacts may have already occurred prior to adequate public and expert review processes. The lack of publicly available permits for these early works, beyond the land levelling permit, further fuels concerns about regulatory oversight and accountability.
Government Scrutiny and Monument Status
The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MESCS) reportedly intervened in October 2024, halting works and tasking the “Scientific-Research Center of Historical and Cultural Heritage” SNCO to map monuments on Hatis Mountain to prevent further damage. This intervention by MESCS acknowledges the cultural heritage significance of the Hatis Mountain area and suggests a degree of official concern regarding the project’s potential impacts. Furthermore, in September 2024, the Ministry of Environment officially approved the passport for the “Hatis Volcano” geological nature monument, defining its characteristics and geographical coordinates. This formal recognition of Hatis Volcano as a nature monument underscores the environmental sensitivity of the project site.
EIA Report and Omissions: A Focus on Key Concerns
Despite these official recognitions and concerns, the EIA report commissioned by the “Gagik Tsarukyan” Charitable Foundation and prepared by “Eco Group AM” LLC reportedly fails to address the potential impact of the statue complex on the “Hatis Volcano” nature monument and the existing historical-cultural monuments on Hatis Mountain. This omission is a critical point of contention, raising questions about the comprehensiveness and objectivity of the EIA report. The report’s alleged failure to assess impacts on officially recognized environmental and cultural heritage sites undermines the purpose of the public hearings and the EIA process itself, which is intended to ensure informed decision-making based on a thorough evaluation of potential risks.
Allegations of Procedural Violations and Lack of Oversight
Adding to the controversy, it is alleged that Akunk community leader’s Permit No. 875-A, authorizing land works, encompasses land plots (cadastral codes 07-009-0101-0127, 07-040-0130-0065, and 07-028-0114-0017) that, upon cadastral map review, include Hatis Mountain and its surroundings. This raises serious questions about potential procedural violations and the extent of authorized land works. The combination of pre-hearing damages, a potentially incomplete EIA report, and allegations of irregularities in land permits suggests a systemic failure in regulatory oversight and environmental protection mechanisms. Concerns are mounting that state and local authorities may have, intentionally or through negligence, facilitated actions that violate legal norms, causing potentially irreversible damage to both environmental and cultural heritage sites.
Public Scrutiny and Calls for Transparency
As the public hearings approach, scrutiny is intensifying regarding the project’s environmental and cultural impacts, the adequacy of the EIA report, and the legality of prior approvals and activities. Public and environmental advocacy groups are likely to attend the hearings, seeking answers to critical questions regarding the project’s potential damage and demanding greater transparency and accountability from both the “Gagik Tsarukyan” Charitable Foundation and relevant state and local authorities. The outcome of these public hearings will be crucial in determining the future trajectory of the controversial Jesus statue project and its implications for environmental protection and cultural heritage preservation in Armenia.
For ongoing coverage of societal, legal issues, government accountability and public discourse in Armenia, visit Azat TV’s Society , Legal , Government sections.