Karen Karapetyan

Karen Karapetyan (Armenian: Կարեն Կարապետյան) (born August 14, 1963) is the former mayor of Yerevan, Armenia. He became the mayor on December 17, 2010, after receiving the overwhelming support from the municipal assembly. He resigned from his post on 28 October 2011 and in November 2011 Taron Margaryan was elected mayor in his place. After his resignation, he returned to Russia to continue working for Gazprom. ^[1]

Prior to becoming mayor, Karapetyan was chief executive of the Armenian-Russian joint venture, ArmRosGazprom, since 2001.^[2] He succeeded Gagik Beglaryan, a controversial mayor who resigned in early December 2010 after being embroiled in a high-profile scandal with the presidential administration of Serzh Sargsyan.

Mayor of Yerevan

Just one month into his term as mayor, Karapetyan arguably sparked the 2011 Armenian protests when he ordered the municipality to enforce a strict ban on street trading. Angry street vendors took to the streets to call for Karapetyan's resignation and the repeal of the ban.^[3] As protests grew larger, with many rallies being held illegally in Yerevan's central Freedom Square,^[4] Karapetyan held his ground, insisting that the ban on gathering in Freedom Square would remain in place and refusing to consider relaxing the municipality's restrictions on street trading.^[5]

Karapetyan undertook other controversial reforms as mayor, including the arrangement of Russian language classes for his staff.^[6]

Personal life

Karen Karapetyan is married and has three children.

References

See also

• List of mayors of Yerevan