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The pressure against Tehmine Yenokyan, an Armenian environmental activist and journalist, by two mining giants in Armenia has come to the attention of UN agencies.

Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, David Boyd, Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, released a joint report in support of Yenokyan, President of the Green Armenia NGO.

The UN human rights experts express concern about the lawsuits filed against the activist by the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC) and Lydian Armenia, remind businesses and financial institutions of human rights violations, call for measures to stop them and urge them to describe the plans to prevent the recurrence of such situations in the future.

The report also addresses the ongoing pressure put on Jermuk residents and human rights defenders.

"The report reflects on the 2018 incident in which photos and videos of me were secretly taken near my house in Gndevaz and were later posted alongside abusive and sexist comments about me on the fake Facebook account of a Lydian employee, as well as Lydian Armenia’s case against me, which was appealed to the ECHR, and the new lawsuit filed against me by the ZCMC which demands 6 million drams in compensation for reputational damages. The case is currently in progress, neither the company nor the government plans to withdraw the lawsuit,” the activist said.

“The report was submitted to the Armenian government, mining companies, their financiers, all banks and businesses operating outside of Armenia that hold stakes in the two companies. Notably, the Armenian government, becoming a shareholder in these two companies, is directly responsible for the pressure on me.

“The report was also sent to EDB, Lydian's new financier, expecting the bank to refrain from human rights violations and acts of suppressing freedom of speech, as well as take preventive steps," Yenokyan added.