This year, the village of Azatamut in Tavush Province is celebrating the 55th anniversary of its founding. Although it is officially classified as a village, its appearance—with apartment buildings and cottages—resembles that of a town.

Azatamut was established in 1970 as a settlement built around a bentonite clay factory. Initially, it was named after the settlement adjacent to the factory. In 1978, the settlement was renamed Azatamut, a name with historical significance. In November 1920, the 11th Red Army entered Armenia from Azerbaijan through this area and subsequently Sovietized the republic. The settlement was given the name “Azatamut,” meaning “Gateway to Freedom,” to commemorate that event.

According to the last Soviet census of 1989, the population of Azatamut was around 4,000 people. However, following the partial shutdown of the bentonite factory, the settlement experienced emigration.

Azatamut is located 11 km northeast of Ijevan, the regional center, at an elevation of 580 meters above sea level. The Ijevan–Berd highway passes through the village.

Today, this border village is fully gasified and has a reliable water supply. At 55 years old, Azatamut continues to live and develop, preserving its unique character and important role in the community life of Tavush.

On August 24, at 20:24, as a result of measures taken following a report received by the Ijevan division of Community Police, it was revealed that two brothers, aged 22 and 21, residents of Azatamut village, disturbed public order by shouting insults from a car directed at a 15-year-old fellow villager. Afterwards, the teenager’s two brothers joined in, and the sides exchanged mutual insults. One of the parties also threw stones in the direction of the other, disturbing the peace of the community.

A criminal case has been initiated, within the framework of which the 21-year-old participant was arrested and taken to a detention facility.

Notice: A person suspected or accused of an alleged crime is considered innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedure established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, by a court judgment that has entered into legal force.