Prosecutor General visits Syunik to review municipal land ownership recovery efforts

Prosecutor General of Armenia Anna Vardapetyan has visited the Sisian community in Syunik Province to review efforts to return public park areas to community ownership.

Vardapetyan, accompanied by Syunik Regional Prosecutor Masis Poghosyan and Sisian Mayor Hovsep Arakelyan, visited the May 28, Hydrobuilders and Karen Demirchyan (Yerevan) parks in Sisian to familiarize herself with the work carried out and underway to protect community interests in relation to the park areas, the Prosecutor General’s Office said.

At May 28 Park, 13 land plots with a total area of 6,411.48 square meters have already been returned to the community’s ownership following a motion by the Prosecutor’s Office. The plots were returned after violations were identified during a study conducted as part of efforts to protect state and community interests. Efforts to return five more plots are ongoing.

Hydrobuilders Park has been fully returned to the Sisian community following the intervention of the Prosecutor’s Office. A study found that the entire 10,000-square-meter park had been leased to a private individual for 50 years under an agreement signed on September 16, 2003. Following a motion by the Prosecutor’s Office and measures taken by the relevant community authorities, the citizen’s lease right was terminated by the Cadastre Committee on September 30, 2026. The entire park, with an estimated cadastral value of approximately 30 million drams—close to its market value—has been returned to the Sisian community.

Vardapetyan also visited Karen Demirchyan (Yerevan) Park, where efforts to return the land plots to the community are ongoing. The Prosecutor General commended citizens who voluntarily terminate their long-term lease agreements and return park areas to community ownership, making it possible to promptly improve and landscape the territories.

Vardapetyan emphasized that the Prosecutor’s Office is partnership-oriented and constructive in resolving such matters out of court, noting that the return of Hydrobuilders Park was the result of out-of-court cooperation.

She stressed the importance of citizens understanding that terminating lease and development agreements, many of which were concluded in violation of the law, benefits the entire community. Residents, including children, gain access to improved parks, green areas and playgrounds that meet their needs through joint investment by the community and the government.

The Prosecutor General instructed the Syunik prosecutor to take measures to return both parks in their entirety to the Sisian community and dismantle illegal structures, setting deadlines for the work.