New clashes in Yerevan

More than 100 people were detained as a result of a clash of demonstrators with the police in Yerevan. On the evening of July 29, the opposition rally grew into a spontaneous procession to the post of patrol service, captured by armed people from the Sasna Tsrer group ("Frantic Sasuns"). They have been holding the police building for 14 days, demanding that the leader of the opposition movement "New Armenia" Girarier Sephilyan, who is in custody on charges of illegal acquisition and storage of weapons. In the captured building there are three doctors, whom the militias are ready to release in exchange for constant medical care for the wounded. According to Armenian analysts, the authorities avoid a power decision, fearing numerous sacrifices. Support for people who captured the police station is growing in society. Every evening, participants in the opposition movement go to the streets of Yerevan to support the requirements of the seized plot.

Ashot Agaroyan police press secretary, in a conversation with Interfax , could not name the exact number of the opposition processing detained after the overclocking of the opposition procession on the evening of July 29. According to preliminary data, more than 100 people were driven into Yerevan police. The Ministry of Health reports 60 victims, all of them are hospitalized. At least three people are in serious condition. According to local media, the 17-year-old teenager lost his eye.

Among the victims - five police officers, one of them was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound in the abdomen. The police representative Ashot Agaronyan wrote on his Facebook page that his colleague was wounded as a result of shooting from the captured PPS regiment. “When a group of rally participants tried to get closer to the security zone and break through the barrier, fire in different directions was opened from the territory of the captured regiment of the PPS. The police officer located outside the PPS regiment received a gunshot wound and was hospitalized, ”Agaronyan reports his version of the events. The condition of the remaining injured police officers is evaluated as satisfactory.

During the dispersion, journalists and filming groups of Armenia television, Azatutyun Radio (Armenian Radio Liberty), Civilnet, A1Plus and “First Armenian Information” were injured. Azatutyun journalists were attacked by a group of people in civilian clothes armed with batons and metal rods. “These people, who seemed to be police officers, clearly realized that they were attacking journalists,” the editorial statement said. The representative of the Heritage Party, Armen Martirosyan, reports that the first clashes provoked precisely the police in civilian clothes.

On the evening of July 29, supporters of the Sasna Tsare armed group gathered in Freedom Square in Yerevan. According to the already traditional scheme, after the rally, they began a procession in the direction of the captured PPS building, but came across a police cordon. Law enforcement officers demanded that they assign to disperse, but they tried to break through to the captured building, after which the detentions began. During clashes, the police used tear gas and noise grenades. One of the grenades fell into the house, as a result of which a fire began. At about 23:30, the police dispersed the demonstration.

Earlier in the afternoon, a shootout occurred between the seized plots and the police, as a result of which two participants in the armed group were injured. There are still three doctors in the captured building. The militias insist that members of the ambulance team are not hostages. “For us, the presence of doctors here is the issue of life and death. We do not hold doctors as hostages. We need medical care. The regime deprived us of medical care. At first, the doctors were on duty here, then they removed the doctors from here and adopted tactics for physical disjection of us, ”said one of the members of the Sasnets Creer, Varuzhan Avetisyan in a telephone conversation with the Azatutyun radio.

The newspaper Zhokhovurd ("People") reports that the authorities resumed the negotiations with representatives of the group, but its members through social networks refute this information. General Prosecutor of Armenia Gevorg Kostanyan invited the group to lay down a weapon. According to him, if the conflict is resolved peacefully, then they will be able to avoid criminal liability under two main articles. Members of Sasna Crere are accused of capturing buildings, taking hostages, as well as illegal acquisition, storage, transportation and wearing of weapons, ammunition and explosive devices.

The Secretary of General of the Council of Europe, Turbin Jagland, expressed concern in connection with the events in Yerevan and called on the parties to the conflict to return to the “use of democratic means”. The Armenian political analyst Michael Zolyan believes that the authorities are unlikely to decide to storm the buildings, instead they will choose the “exhaustion” strategy and try to keep the invaders in isolation until they are surrendered.

“They (the authorities,“ Polit.ru ”) do not want to go to force methods, because this can lead to numerous victims. On the other hand, they also do not need to solve this situation, because the longer this continues, the stronger the impression of the weakness of power. Therefore, I think they will try not to use any power methods, but they will try to isolate and localize this situation and try to lead to the participants in this armed group, ”Zolyan said in an interview with Azatutyun radio.