Hostage standoff over in Armenia’s capital: capsule summary

15:30 • 24.07.16

Eight days have passed since an armed group seized a police building in Yerevan.

The drama ended in the hostages being released, while the group members are still occupying the building.

At a meeting with reporters, the group members stated their demands remained unchanged: the president’s resignation, a change of power, release of Zhirair Sefilyan and of all other political prisoners.

They also said that any attempts to storm the building will result in hundreds of victims as the group members are well armed and skilled in using weapons.

Group member Varuzhan Avetisyan said that the situation will last for at least a fortnight or for a month at the longest, and reasonable solutions must be found during this period.

The attack took place on July 17. Police Colonel Artur Vanoyan was killed, and four other policemen were injured.

The highest tensions were reported on July 20, when clashes between people and police took place.

Fifty-one people applied to doctors, 28 of them being policemen.

Law-enforcers detained 136 people.

Several other people were later detained on charges of contacts with the armed group and inciting mass riots.

A day before the armed group released the hostages, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan stated at a meeting with the top officials of Armenia’s law-enforcement agencies that problems must never be resolved in Armenia by means of armed attacks or hostage-taking.

“We will not allow that. The resolution of this standoff will become the most serious test for Armenia, for our society and the maturity of our state. I urge the armed people, who have occupied the territory of the police headquarters, to show restraint and not endanger the lives of others with their reckless moves,” Armenia’s leader said.

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