Armed Actions in Yerevan: which are the Reasons and the Claims?

Today in Yerevan, at dawn, at about 5.30am armed members of the Founding Parliament, “Sasna Tsrer” took the Patrol-Guard Service Regiment building. “Rebellion was generated in Armenia’s capital,” Members of the Founding Parliament informed via social networks.

Head of the Founding Parliament is Jirair Sefilian, who used to have active participation in Karabakh war. Today his armed teammates demanded from the authorities to free Jirair Sefilian, who has been in “Vardashen” penitentiary since this June. Sefilian was detained on June 20. Within the criminal case, as a result of extensive investigation and operational-search measures, it turned out that Jirair Sefilian came to an agreement with an armed group to take over buildings, important structures and means of communication, including Yerevan TV Tower, during which the latter organized illegal purchase, transportation and illegal keeping of weapons by a group of people.

Sefilian’s supporters were introducing his arrest as a political decision by the authorities, commenting that Armenia’s authorities see settlement of NKR issue through return of 5 regions, to which, however, Sefilian was against, by that being a threat to the authorities.

Sefilian’s teammate rebels today, stating that they have taken high-ranking officers and other policemen as hostages, were demanding from the authorities to move Sefilian there, “From our side only Jirair Sefilian is entitled to conduct negotiations,” Varuzhan Avetisyan, Founding Parliament spokesman, wrote on his Facebook page, who was among the armed rebels. Next claim of the armed grouping is, “Serzh Sargsyan should resign and pass the power to the parliament, trusted by the people.”

Police cars, armored vehicles have closed roads to Patrol-Guard Service Regiment since morning. Streets heading to that part of the city were completely closed by lorries and other means of transport. The population was warned not to leave their apartments, in some parts they have been evacuated.

Some period later the National Security Service issued a statement, which confirmed the news on one killed and two wounded policemen, “A group of armed persons took police officers as hostages, claiming to free Jirair Sefilian, who was detained for illegal purchase, transportation and keeping of weapons and ammunition by a group of people. One policeman was killed, other two are wounded.”

Artur Vanoyan, police Colonel, father of three children was killed.

NA MP Nikol Pashinyan met the armed group and attempted to negotiate with them. N.Pashinyan later told reporters that there were 7 policemen taken as hostages, including Valeri Osipyan, Deputy Chief of the Yerevan Police Department, and Vardan Yeghiazaryan,  Deputy Chief of RA Police. Varuzhan Avetisyan, Deputy Head of the Founding Parliament, reflecting to the fact of taking policemen as hostages said, “They came to negotiate, we have kept them to provide our security.” NA MP Nikol Pahsinyan made footages talking to the policemen taken as hostages and representatives of the armed group. Later he intended to meet Jirair Sefilian in the prison cell, however, the law enforcement didn’t allow.

In different parts of the Republic and the capital arrests and investigative actions were recorded, and roads were still closed. Upon assessments of the law enforcement, number of the detained exceeds 200.

Hunan Poghosyan, First Deputy Chief of RA Police, told reporters that special units have been brought to the initial position, however they have no command to operate, “Currently negotiations are underway.” He also informed that health condition of two wounded policemen is extremely critical and they have been moved to the hospital.

All day long different political powers and politicians were calling the authorities and the armed group to go to negotiations avoiding any violence, bloodshed, casualties.

“Settling political issues by force may have the most disastrous implications,” different politicians were claiming, in response to the statements of plotters, that they took those extreme steps out of activities of Armenia’s authorities, injustice in the country, corruption manifestations, fraudulent elections and desperateness.

By Armine Vardanyan