Tear gas, stun grenades, violence near seized police HQ in Yerevan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Police on Friday, July 29 evening dispersed a rally in support of the armed group that sized a patrol department in Yerevan in the early hours of July 17.

Using tear gas and stun grenades, the police declined to negotiate with the coordinators of the protest and demanded that the demonstrators immediately clear the area.

RFE/RL Armenian service is providing a live coverage of the incident, according to which protesters and some of their own correspondents were beaten by police officers wearing civilian clothes.

The group are members of the Sasna Tsrer (Daredevils of Sassoun) movement. One police officer was killed, and several more were wounded in a shootout that broke as the members of the group hit the gates of the police department with a track. All the captives have been set free. 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 allegedly planned to seize premises and communication facilities, including the Yerevan TV tower. They also demand the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan and the creation of a transitional government. Also, they want the authorities to halt Karabakh negotiations fearing they are going to cede some lands around the former Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast to Azerbaijan.

Read also:Yerevan standoff: Police disperse rally supporting gunmen (Updating)