Police HQ seizure: Jirair Sefilian unaware of his own "rescue operation"

PanARMENIAN.Net - Opposition activist Jirair Sefilian had no idea what was going on, a member of the armed group that stormed a police HQ in Yerevan and took everyone inside hostage told Armlur.am.

A group of armed people on Sunday, July 17 stormed the patrol service of the Armenian police and took everyone inside hostage. The group are members of the Sasna Tsrer movement and demand the release of Sefilian. The latter 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. One police officer was killed, and four more were wounded in a shootout on Sunday.

"He didn't know anything of what we had done," Pavel Manukyan said.

"I briefed him on the situation, and he told us to make further decisions by ourselves."

According to him, their demands haven't changed: they want the release of Sefilian for further negotiations.

Asked whether they are going to surrender, Mankuyan gave a negative response.

"We are going to fight to the end. We'll do everything to ensure the safety of the captives even if the police storms the premises," he said.

Read also:Gunmen seize police HQ in Yerevan: 1 killed, 4 wounded (Updating)