Number of activists detained in Yerevan rises to six

The police detained at least four oppositionists who took part in a protest action in an avenue in Yerevan. In total, six activists were detained, the Armenian police reported.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 25, oppositionists and their supporters began a march from the town of Idjevan, Tavush Region, to Yerevan, demanding not to review the Nagorno-Karabakh status. In Yerevan, the youth wing of the Republican Party of Armenia tried to stage a protest near the central office of the ruling power "Civil Contract" demanding the resignation of the prime minister. The police detained 11 protesters there. Four other activists were detained after blocking one of the Yerevan avenues.

Today, opposition supporters have blocked Komitas Avenue at the intersection with Gyulbenkyan Street in protest against the authorities’ policy towards Nagorno-Karabakh. The protestors have blocked the traffic. The activists laid tires on the roadway and set them on fire. The police pushed the protesters out and removed the tires from the roadway to the sidewalk, reports the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent, who has visited the scene.

After pushing the activists out of the street, the police detained one of them. The rest went to the office of the ARF (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) “Dashnaktsutyun” Party. The policemen followed them, but could not go inside, as a lawyer of the “Dashnaktsutyun” Party said that “the police could enter the office only with a court’s permission.”

Later, four activists left the office, and in several metres the police detained them, using force.

In total, six activists were detained in different places, the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent has learned from Zarzand Gabrielyan, the head of the Media Relations Department of the Armenian Police.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 26, 2022 at 02:27 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.