Armenian Health Ministry calls for medical personnel’s release from seized police headquarters

July 29, 2016 By administrator

Armenia’s Ministry of Health has issued a statement urging the armed opposition group which keeps the patrol police regiment under control to release the detained ambulance crew from the building.
The paramedics were held in the seized headquarters on Wednesday after heading there to provide medical aid to people. One nurse was released hours later. Two doctors, Salvador Khechoyan and Norayr Tevanyan, and another nurse, Malina Margaryan, are still being held hostage.
Condemning the armed group’s move, the Ministry urges its members to demonstrate common sense and free first of all the nurse, who is the only woman in the crew.
“Such an act, alien to all kinds written and unwritten laws all over the world, never brings honor to you or your ideas,” reads the statement.
The group, calling itself Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sassoun), stormed into the police building last Sunday, keeping several police officers hostage under the threat of violence.
The regiment’s deputy commander, Colonel Artur Vanoyan, was reported dead hours later.
The group demands the resignation of the ruling authorities in Armenia and the release of all the political prisoners, including Zhirayr Sefilyan, a veteran of the Nagorno-Karabakh war and an opposition activist who was detained last month over the illegal purchase, transportation and storage of weapons.

Yerevan standoff: Member of armed group injured in shootout with police

July 29, 2016 By administrator

armed-group-inured YEREVAN. – Member of “Sasna Tsrer” group Arayik Khandoyan nicknamed “lonely wolf” is injured, member of the Founding Parliament Syuzan Simonyan wrote on Facebook.

Member of the armed group Varuzhan Avetisyan told 1in.am that Khandoyan was injured in his leg. He came “to see what is falling from a drone and was injured by a sniper”.

Police confirmed the reports noting that “shooting was heard at police regiment in violation of the demands of law enforcement agencies, police officers opened fire injuring one of the shooters Arayik Khandoyan”.

EU reacts to Yerevan police standoff, calls for restraint by police

July 21, 2016 By administrator

eu react The European Union on Thursday, July 21 commented on the recent situation in Yerevan following an armed police station takeover, stating that the use of force to achieve political change is unacceptable.

An armed group seized a police HQ and took everyone inside hostage. They are members of the Sasna Tsrer movement. One police officer was killed, and three more were wounded in a shootout that broke as the members of the group hit the gates of the police department with a Ural track. Several captives have been set free so far. The hostages include Armenia’s deputy police chief General Major Vardan Eghiazaryan and Yerevan deputy police chief Colonel Valeri Osipyan. The group demand the release of Jirair Sefilian, the founder of the Founding Parliament who was arrested on June 20, as he and a group of people had planned to seize premises and communication facilities, including the Yerevan TV tower.

“With concern we note reports on excessive use of force and mass arrests by the police,” the Union’s delegation to Armenia said in a statement.

“In this regard, we call on the authorities to observe the principle of proportionality in handling public rallies, including both peaceful and violent gatherings. Likewise, demonstrators need to refrain from violence as they make use of their civil rights.”

“We also take note of the statements issued by the Ombudsman and call for a full investigation of all cases of alleged wrongdoing by the police, including mistreatment, denial of access to lawyers and medical care,” the statement went on to say.

Political scientist: Armenia should be prepared for various scenarios amid Russia-Turkey standoff

December 5, 2015 By administrator

Given the uncompromising stance of Russian and Turkish authorities, one can assume that the standoff between the two countries will not ease in the near future so Armenia should be prepared for various scenarios of further developments and act taking into account the realities, expert Aram Manukyan said at a meeting with reporters today.

“Turkey may attempt to use the Karabakh front so as to involve Russia in an active confrontation and provoke a war here. Armenia should also be ready for possible attempts to carry out such incidents at our western borders. There is little likelihood of this, but we need to be prepared,” he said.

Speaking about Russia-Turkey tensions, the political scientist noted that regarding the Syrian issue, the interests of Russia and Turkey are at odds. ‘Ankara is interested in Assad’s removal and Syria’s fragmentation in the future, while Moscow pursues a different goal – it aims to protect the Assad regime,” Manukyan said.

According to him, the problem should be examined not only from a political point of view. “It is through Turkey that the Islamic State is carrying out serious activities by selling oil. It would be naïve to think that the Turkish authorities were unaware or remained neutral”.

“In other words, Russia’s actions also hit Turkey’s political elite in the pocket,” he said.

According to Manukyan, Turkey showed that in order to promote its own interests, it is ready to trample on universal values, even hinder the fight against international terrorism.

Leaders #electricYerevan avoid the standoff with authorities

July 7, 2015 By administrator

Several hundred Armenians protesting against rising electricity prices have again gathered in Yerevan on Monday night hours after being driven Avenue Bargramian by riot police, but they have avoided reoccupy a major artery of the city.

The gathering in the pedestrian area of the Liberty Square (at the opera) began shortly after police released 46 protesters who were stopped early Monday afternoon when dismantling by police (without water cannon or baton) of a barricade that marked the territory of the non-stop protest installed on the avenue Bagramyan Marshal for two weeks.

People interpelées belong to the group of current leaders of the movement “electric Yerevan” that brought the Armenian government to suspend the 17% increase of energy prices.

Youth leaders affirmed their commitment to continue the movement. But citing the need to avoid further clashes with the police, they gave up starting a new march toward the avenue of Marshal Bagramyan, preferring to call a demonstration in the city center on Thursday.

“We need to rest,” said Narek Ayvazyan, one of the activists, Armenian service of RFE / RL (Azatutyun.am), arguing that he and his comrades are exhausted by non-stop sit-in on the avenue leading to the residence of President Serzh Sargsyan.

“I promise you that we will again go void Bagramyan” said another leader of “electric Yerevan” Davit Sanasarian, the demonstrators. “The police, the authorities are really afraid.”

Sanasarian at the same time regretted that only a small number of people took part in demonstrations last week, which according to him is not enough to move the Armenian authorities. He announced that he would begin a hunger strike in order to draw attention of the population and encourage them to join more heavily in the campaign.

“We are waiting for you,” said another speaker, calling on the nation. “All Armenians should get up for this fight.”

The demonstrations had attracted thousands of people until President Serzh Sargsyan announced on June 27 that the government will bear the increased cost of electricity prices until the results of an audit on service electricity from Armenia. The audit is to determine whether the unpopular measure is economically justified or results of fraud and mismanagement with the Russian company that owns it.

Dozens of protesters tried to march into the evening, but they were stopped by police deployed in the square. The leaders of “electric Yerevan” were not among them.