The Afrikyan Building, located on Teryan Street in the center of Yerevan was built toward the end of the 19th Century. In 2004, the structure was included in the list of historical and cultural monuments of the City of Yerevan by a government decision to ensure its preservation. However, in the summer of 2014, the building was completely dismantled and its intricate facade carted away. In its place is an empty lot.
Transparency International Anti-corruption Center in Yerevan had filed a lawsuit in the Court of First Instance against the Central Investigation Unit of the Armenian police and the Prosecutor’s Office for refusing to press charges for the destruction of the historic Afrikyan Building. On October 3, the Court of First Instance had thrown the case out, however Transparency International appealed that decision. On November 7, the Appellate Court upheld Transparency International’s petition.
CivilNet spoke with Transparency International’s lawyer Heriknaz Tigranyan about the decision of the Appellate Court. Tigranyan explained that the appeals court had sent the petition to the Court of First Instance for review. The prosecutor’s office has 15 days to appeal this decision. If they don’t then the Court of First Instance has up to two months to re-open the case.
According to the government decision, the Afrikyan building would be dismantled to be reassembled in another location. The building was also part of the Old Yerevan project that envisions reassembling historic buildings and to be located in the vicinity of Apovyan, Byuzant, Koghbatsi and Aram streets.
The dismantlement of the Afrikyan Building had caused an uproar in the city as many citizens protested its destruction. A civic initiative, Let’s Protect the Afrikyan Club Building was formed that argued that the building should remain in its current location or be included within a new structure.