Azernews.Az

By Rashid Shirinov

Armenians still rally in Yerevan protesting against the government and demanding resignation of the Sargsyan regime.

Despite the surrender of the armed group Sasna Tsrer, which seized a police station in Yerevan for 15 days and demanded resignation of the Armenian president, the situation on the Freedom square in Yerevan is tense, news.am reports.

Leader of rally Tigran Khzmalyan said that “the first interim victory has been achieved, and a transition to the political process should take place”. He also informed that the next rally will be held tomorrow at 19.30.

Following Khzmalyan’s speech, a large group of protesters began a spontaneous march through Yerevan streets in support of the Sasna Tsrer and in protest to the current Armenian government.

“The main thing is that the movement of Sasna Tsrer started. From this moment until the release of the leaders, the movement will be managed both from prison and from hiding,” Chairman of the Founding Parliament of Armenia, Garegin Chugaszian said. “Down with tyranny, long live the free and sovereign Armenia.”

Meanwhile, the confrontation between Armenian population and police grows. On July 29, following a rally in Sari Tagh district of Yerevan, the police dispersed the protesters and arrested 165 people. As a result of last clashes, 73 citizens addressed medical institutions with injuries of varying degrees of severity. Currently, 22 of them still stay in hospitals.

This even more rose up Armenian population against its police, and protesters demand to release all the arrested.

The Armenian police's atrocities is not limited to brutal disperse of the rally, as they also beat up the activists in prisons.

Recently, activist Andreas Ghukasyan has been brutally beaten in a remand centre, where he is being kept. Member of the Anti-Crisis Council Saro Saroyan informed that his knees were broken by police, he is unable to move, and the police do not even transfer the activist to the hospital.

On July 17, a group of armed men entered the territory of the Armenian police patrol department in the Erebuni district of Yerevan and took several people hostage. The attackers demanded the release of Armenian opposition figure Jirair Sefilyan, who was arrested nearly a month ago on charges of illegal possession of arms. They also demanded resignation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

Following the long-lasting talks, the armed group on July 23 released all of the hostages. Nevertheless, they refused to lay arms down and surrender to the authorities. On July 27, the group took new hostages. They were four ambulance doctors who arrived at the police station to assist the wounded in the shootout between the police and Sasna Tsrer members. By July 31, they were also released.

From the first day of the seizure, Armenian people started their protest actions against authorities by gathering on Yerevan’s streets.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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