Workers criticize Armenian government as protest continues over closure of Tsarukyan-linked factory

Employees of a tobacco factory linked to opposition leader Gagik Tsarukyan renewed their calls for authorities to reopen the facility on Tuesday, saying they have been left without work after law enforcement sealed the plant more than a week ago.

"We are not going to back down," one employee told reporters during a protest outside the factory. "About 130 of us have been left without work. Our factory was sealed unlawfully and we have not been able to work for nine days now."

Workers gathered outside the Multi Tabak factory to demand that authorities lift the seal on the premises and allow operations to resume.

The employee, who said she has worked at the factory since it opened four years ago, described her salary as her family's primary source of income.

"I support my family and my children," she said. "Why should my colleagues and I be standing outside today? We are not asking for charity, and we are not here to beg for the factory to be reopened. There is a legal process. If the inspection is over, they are obligated to reopen it. They shouldn't push us toward taking more drastic steps."

She said the closure has jeopardized the livelihoods of numerous families that depend on the factory.

"The government has left 15,000 workers without jobs today. Who is going to think about us?" she said. "Our prime minister is traveling around the country taking selfies, but he is not thinking about the people who have been left out of work."

The employee said workers are increasingly frustrated and want their concerns to be heard.

"So many workers are depending on this. Men and women have been left without jobs," she said. "We have excellent managers who have always supported us and treated us well. Today they have been left not knowing what to do."

She maintained that the factory has always operated legally and accused authorities of acting unlawfully during the search.

"Our factory has always operated within the law," she said. "They entered unlawfully and left us outside. The inspections lasted more than 10 hours, and our personal belongings are still inside. I have worked here for four years and never before has the factory door been closed to me or prevented me from doing my job."

Multi Tabak is among several businesses linked to Tsarukyan that have been sealed by Armenian law enforcement as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Tsarukyan, the leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party, has been detained on money laundering and fraud charges widely regarded as politically motivated.