The Azerbaijani government has approved the expansion of the cyanide waste dam in Soyudlu village, Gadabay, despite recent protests from residents.
Rza Vaziri, CEO of “Azerbaijan International Mining Company Limited” (AIMC), a subsidiary of “Anglo Asian Mining,” announced the decision, as reported by “APA-Economics.” AIMC is a major producer of gold, copper, and silver in Azerbaijan.
On August 5, the government granted permission to raise the wall of the existing waste dam, with Vaziri confirming that the construction will meet all health and safety standards. The project is set to begin soon, with plans to resume full production in about a week.
Last year, on June 20, Soyudlu residents protested against the construction of a second artificial lake for mining wastewater. The demonstrations were met with police intervention, resulting in approximately 10 injuries and five arrests. Residents have claimed that cyanide from the current artificial lake has contaminated their drinking water, negatively impacting their health.
This new lake would be the second such facility in the village. Similar concerns were raised in 2012 when a waste lake from a gold mine was constructed near Soyudlu, leading to the destruction of local gardens and bee farms.
On July 11 2023, President Ilham Aliyev defended the police’s actions during the Soyudlu protests at a government meeting, stressing the need for citizens to obey the law and criticizing the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources for environmental negligence.
Former deputy Nazim Beydamirli, detained by the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime on July 4, 2023, received a four-month arrest warrant. Beydamirli and his lawyers argue that his arrest is linked to his opposition to police actions during the Soyudlu protests. Official charges cite extortion under Article 182.2.4 of the Criminal Code, which carries a prison sentence of 5 to 10 years.
On July 14 last year, Prime Minister Ali Asadov temporarily suspended the company’s activities at the Soyudlu gold mine to monitor the environmental impact of Anglo Asian Mining’s operations.
Anglo Asian Mining conducts gold mining in Azerbaijan under a production-sharing agreement signed on August 21, 1997, with Azerbaijan holding a 51 percent share and the British company holding 49 percent.
