Workers demand reopening of Tsarukyan-linked tobacco factory after week-long closure

Employees of a tobacco factory owned by opposition leader Gagik Tsarukyan called on the Armenian authorities to reopen the facility on Tuesday, saying more than 150 workers have been left without jobs after law enforcement sealed the premises over a week ago.

"We don't want charity, we don't want positions. What we want is for the factory to reopen so we can work," one employee told reporters. "We are demanding that our workplace be opened so we can work with dignity."

The factory, Multi Tabak, is among several companies associated with Tsarukyan that have been sealed by law enforcement authorities as part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

Employees said they want officials either to allow operations to resume or provide a clear timeline for how long the closure will last. They also said they have not been informed whether they will receive pay for the days they have been unable to work.

"We need to know how we're supposed to solve our problems," another employee said.

One worker displaced from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) said the factory had provided a rare employment opportunity after struggling to find work for a year.

"I was able to get this job through kind people. It's a very good team," the employee said. "There are about 15 to 20 workers here who were displaced from Artsakh. We were all welcomed. We all have rent to pay and tuition fees. Where are we supposed to get the money? Other places won't hire us."

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