Yerevan: The police accelerate the protesters, the leader of the opposition was detained

In Yerevan, the leader of the opposition Nikol Pashinyan was detained at the protest march in the Erebuni area, the Armenian Service "Radio Liberty" reports . The police dispersed with the use of special equipment, including light-shum grenades.

As of 15 hours, 192 demonstrators were detained, seven were hospitalized.

It was decided to stop the demonstration, said the official representative of the police Ashot Agaronyan. He accused the participants of the shares of the use of violence and provocations, and demanded "to stop illegal meetings in all parts of the city of Yerevan" under the threat of the use of special equipment.

Along with Pashinyan, two more opposition deputies were detained - Ararat Mirzoyan and Sasun Mikaelyan. The organization of illegal mass assemblies is charged with all three protests.

Detention of Nikola Pashinyan:

On Sunday morning, a public meeting of Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan and Pashinyan at the Marriott hotel took place. She was broadcast live and lasted for several minutes. Sargsyan said that he could not conduct a dialogue in the presence of journalists. Pashinyan objected that he had come to discuss the resignation of Sargsyan and the peaceful transfer of power.

“These are not negotiations, this is not a dialogue, but simply an ultimatum, blackmail in relation to the state, the legal authorities,” Sargsyan answered. “You do not realize the degree of responsibility, you did not remove the lessons from the events of March 1 (the clashes of the protesters with the police on March 1, 2008 led to the death of 10 people, hundreds were injured. - Ed.), And if you say in this tone, then I remain again To give you the advice to the legal field and, otherwise, all responsibility will fall on you.

Pashinyan replied to this: "Mr. Sargsyan, I want to be extremely clear so that no one dares to us at all and could not dare to speak in a tone of threats. I say that you can not represent the situation in the republic. You do not have in the Republic of Armenia the power that you are reported to, the authorities in the Republic of Armenia passed into the hands of the people."

Sargsyan objected that "the faction that gained 7-8 percent (the" Elk "faction. - Ed.) Was no right to speak on behalf of the people." “If you do not recognize the legal requirement of the state, goodbye,” the prime minister concluded and retired.

Pashinyan urged his supporters to expand the shares of civil disobedience and at 19:00 gather again on the square of the republic. “You saw that Mr. Sargsyan has lost its adequacy and does not possess the situation well,” the opposition leader said.

The meeting was organized with the participation of President Armen Sargsyan. The day before, the head of state went to protesters in the republic’s square and talked with Pashinyan. The crowd chanted "President, reject Serge!".

On Saturday morning, Sargsyan called an opposition to negotiations. "In order to avoid irreparable losses, I urge the deputy of the National Assembly of Nikola Pashinyan to go to a political dialogue and sit at the negotiating table. This should be done immediately," his statement said.

On the same day, Sargsyan allowed his early care, but only after he succeeds in “properly” to solve the problem of Nagorno -Karabakh.

Mass protests in Yerevan and other cities of Armenia continue the 12th day. Since Friday, protesters overlap movement in the center of the capital. On Saturday, one of the leaders of protest Armen Grigoryan was detained, a criminal case was opened against him. In Gyumri, another coordinator of protest promotions, civil activist Levon Barsigyan was detained.

On April 17, Pashinyan announced the beginning of a velvet revolution in the country . Earlier on this day, the Armenian parliament voted for the appointment of Sargsyan by the head of government. “For” 76 deputies voted, 17 parliamentarians did not approve the candidacy of the former president.

After the election of Sargsyan, protesters began to block the buildings of the authorities; The security forces hindered them. On April 17, 46 people were injured in clashes with the police.

On April 9, the second five -year period of Sargsyan as the president’s post is expired. In order to continue to remain in power, the head of state in 2015 initiated a referendum on a change in the form of state structure from the presidential republic to parliamentary . It was statement that 63.35 percent of voters supported the idea.

On March 2, the National Assembly elected the new president on a non-alternative basis 65-year-old Armen Sargsyan (Sargsyan), the namesake of the then head of state. In 1996-1997, Armen Sargsyan was the prime minister of the country, and later held the post of ambassador in London.

Meanwhile, the main part of the power, after changing the constitutional system of the country, passes into the hands of the Prime Minister.