Yerevan hostage crisis: Situation near seized police HQ relatively calm

PanARMENIAN.Net - The situation on Khorenatsi street near the seized police headquarters in Yerevan was relatively calm overnight on July 21-22.

An armed group that seized a police HQ and took everyone inside hostage. They are members of the Sasna Tsrer movement. One police officer was killed, and three more were wounded in a shootout that broke as the members of the group hit the gates of the police department with a Ural track. Several captives have been set free so far. The hostages include Armenia's deputy police chief General Major Vardan Eghiazaryan and Yerevan deputy police chief Colonel Valeri Osipyan. The group demand the release of Jirair Sefilian, the founder of the Founding Parliament who 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.

Several dozen supporters of the group spent the night at the scene for the 6th day in a row, while the police did nothing to disperse them.

The law enforcement bodies and protesters clashed the previous night, at least 51 people, including 25 policemen were wounded Wednesday, July 20 night, the health ministry said, after stone-throwing protesters attacked officers deployed outside the seized police building.

Police in turn, fired tear gas into the crowd.