Somerville Restaurant Target Of Anti-Armenian Attacks, Owners Say

SOMERVILLE, MA — A Mediterranean restaurant has been the target of anti-Armenian attacks in recent weeks, the owners say. Arsen and Hilda Karageozian, who run Noor Mediterranean Grill in Powder House Square, wrote on the restaurant's Facebook page that they have received "hundreds of hate messages, fake negative reviews and death threats by phone" as of Tuesday evening.

The messages come as tensions heat up between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-controlled territory in Azerbaijan. Hilda Karageozian told The Boston Globe she believes the conflict is the impetus for the attacks.

The Karageozians say they have reported the abuse to the Somerville Police Department.

"We are a small, family-owned business, and we value all of our customers equally while treating them with the utmost respect and providing the highest quality food and customer service," a statement on Noor's Facebook page reads. "Noor Mediterranean Grill is not the place for anyone’s political agenda or hate, and we strongly condemn these acts here in Boston and anywhere around the world."

The six-year-old restaurant specializes in Mediterranean cuisine. It is located at 136 College Ave.