Yerevan city center construction that caused and facilitated destruction of historical and cultural monuments was launched during the tenure and with active participation of Narek Sargsyan, Chief Architect of Yerevan.

It was still on 12 April 1991 that the List of Historical and Cultural Monuments of the City of Yerevan was endorsed by Yerevan City Executive Committee Decision N 6/18 "Design of Complex Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Monuments of Yerevan City." However, by violating the requirements of the RA Government Decision N 13 of 15 January 1996 "On State Registration of Departmental Normative Acts," Yerevan Municipality failed to submit the mentioned Decision N 6/18 of 12 April 1991 to RA Ministry of Justice for state registration, in due time and order. As a result, the document became invalid. In addition, with assumed participation of Chief Architect, Yerevan Municipality drafted and adopted special Decision N 1137 of 30 August 2000 on invalidating Yerevan City Executive Committee Decision N 6/18. As a result, Yerevan city "ceased to have" historical and cultural monuments. In fact, the existing monuments remained out of the jurisdiction of the Agency of Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments under the RA Ministry of Culture and for 4 years, those who obtained plots of lands in Yerevan center were enabled to freely damage and destroy the monument-buildings in those areas. At least 25 monument-buildings were demolished and destroyed, which later apparently were no longer included in RA Government Decision N 1616-N of 7 October 2004 "On Approving the State List of Immovable Historical and Cultural Monuments of Yerevan City." According to that decision, 14 monuments were subject to removal with an intent not to ban construction in Yerevan center.

It is noteworthy that RA Prosecutor Generals Office revealed the fact of the monuments destruction in 2005, (see http://genproc.am/am/46/item/581/ ; http://genproc.am/am/47/item/593/ and http://genproc.am/am/47/item/705/), also given the absence of legal acts ensuring protection of monuments, especially after invalidating the abovementioned Yerevan City Executive Committee Decision. Nevertheless, up till now no one has been subjected to criminal liability for factual destruction of monuments, and for preparation or helping to commit that crime. Ever since 2009, reports on crime addressed to law enforcement bodies filed by Transparency international Anticorruption Center NGO have failed to be duly examined.

In his tenure as Chief Architect of Yerevan from 1999 to 2004, Narek Sargsyan designed the projects of constructing high-rise buildings in Yerevans center where numerous historical buildings were located. He was involved in the preparation processes of RA Government Decision N 774 of 25 November 2000 "On Yerevan Citys Northern Avenue Construction Project" and a number of subsequent decisions. By RA Government Decisions, Yerevan Mayor was allowed to grant the plots of land to constructors without tender through direct negotiations, giving Yerevan Municipality corruption leverage to concur on possible illegal payments and processes. By abusing his official authority and the opportunities taken through RA government decisions, Narek Sargsyan, most probably struck a deal with a group of acquirers and when he was no longer Chief Architect of Yerevan from 2004 he was involved in a number of construction design work through "Narek SargsyanArchitectural Studio" LLC.

Numerous evidences on illegalities and corruption during construction process of Yerevan city center and large number of buildings designs by Narek Sargsyan especially in the center of Yerevan (see http://www.nareksargsyan.am) cause reasonable doubt on possible abuse of power by him. The large-scale projects carried out by Narek Sargsyan in 2008-2011 in his tenure as Chief Architect and Deputy Minister of Urban Development are also of concern, given the big number of talented architects and design organizations in Armenia. As it was revealed recently, Narek Sargsyan is currently involved in a design of a ten-story hotel complex in 3 Abovian Street, posing a threat to a cultural monument - Armenian Society for Cultural Relations and Cooperation with Foreign Countries (AOKS) building and its adjacent ones.

Narek Sargsyans participation in the process of state protected monuments of history and culture destruction and/or his preparation in the center of Yerevan and abuse of his official authority should be investigated by relevant agencies. Other officials in charge, including the people who were Mayors of Yerevan during the mentioned time - Albert Bazetan, Robert Nazaryan and Yervand Zakaryan respectively should also be involved in the process. We expect that the law enforcement bodies should carry out due investigation and take appropriate measures to subject the officials in charge who were responsible for destruction of a whole historical and cultural stratum, to liability pursuant to Articles 264, 308 and 375 of RA Criminal Code.