Published since 1951
Published on March 01, 2008
TER-PETROSIAN ‘UNDER HOUSE ARREST,’ RALLY BROKEN UP
- Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian was reportedly placed under house arrest early Saturday after the Armenian police and other security services used force to disperse his supporters camped in Yerevan’s Liberty Square. According to eyewitnesses, scores of police, interior troops and other security forces surrounded the square at around 7 a.m. and began dispersing the small crowd, using truncheons, tear gas and electric-shock equipment. Dozens of demonstrators and security officers were said to have been injured in the violent scene which apparently lasted for about 30 minutes. There were unconfirmed reports of mass arrests of opposition leaders and activists. Some leaders apparently went into hiding Ter-Petrosian his bodyguards remained in the square flooded riot police as of 8 a.m., “I am now arrested,” he told RFE/RL. “My freedom is restricted.” “They want me to go but I told them that I won’t leave this square unless they handcuff me and show an arrest warrant,” he said. One of his close associates, Aleksandr Arzumanian, told RFE/RL shortly afterwards that Ter-Petrosian was forcibly led away from the square and is now under house arrest. Law-enforcement authorities did not immediately comment on the break-up of the protest. The operation appeared to have been led by the Grisha Sarkisian, chief of the State Protection Service, which is in charge of President Robert Kocharian’s personal security, and Nerses Nazarian, the Yerevan police chief. Both men were in the square after it was cleared of the protesters. Sarkisian told RFE/RL that Ter-Petrosian was never detained by his men. The square and the entire area around it were cordoned off by hundreds of police and interior troops. Groups of angry Ter-Petrosian supporters could been seen standing in nearby sidewalks and watching the security forces dismantle a tent camp set up by the opposition leader in the square the day after Armenia’s disputed presidential election. One such group numbering about 50 people was attacked and dispersed by the baton-wielding police. An old woman was nearly electrocuted by a senior police officer as the fled the scene. Many of those people were in the square when the crowd dispersal began. “They beat people relentlessly,” said one man. “They didn’t care if they were young or old. There were women and many children. It was a horrible scene.” “We fought back but they then sent in more troops and surrounded us,” said another eyewitness. “The president was urging us to stay calm and not to clash with them.” “They didn’t tell us anything or try to negotiate,” Ter-Petrosian said for his part. “They attacked the people with truncheons and electric-shock equipment.” His campaign office said in a separate statement that the ex-president and his allies will “try” to press ahead with their Saturday rally scheduled for 3 p.m. local time. The statement also said the whereabouts of some opposition leaders are not known. (Photolur photo)
- By Ruzanna Khachatrian, Astghik Bedevian and Emil Danielyan
Discussion
mjasnik wrote:
finaly!!!
MIHRAN wrote:
Finaly!- MIHRAN wrote:
DEAR RAFAEL
I ANSWERED TO YOUR COMMENTS IN REGARD TO THE (KILLING AS MUCH GHARAPAGHTSIS)
I PERSONALLY WANTED TO SEE THROUGH A POSITIF ANGEL TER PEDROSYAN'S OPPOSITION.HIS INADEQUATE LANGUAGE TURNED ME OFF.I DO'NT BELIEVE AN EX. PRESIDENT SHOULD USE THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE ON HIS OPPONENT.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE PRESENT DUO ARE NOT WITHOUT THEIR OWN MISTAKES. TO RUN ARMENIA IS NOT AN EAZY JOB... WE ARE ALL HOT BLOODED PEOPLE AND IT IS TO OUR DEPREMENT.MY FRIEND WE ARE TRYING TO BUILT A COUNTRY OUT OF A FAILED SOVIET UNION.TER PETROSYAN DELIVERED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THAN.... TO TRY TO COME BACK WITH REVENGE.... IS NOT CORRECT.
MIHRAN - Mkrtich wrote:
- Anahit
Did you know that more that 40 people were killed today because of those Karabach-turks???
<ul class="c"><li class="italic"><strong>MIHRAN</strong>
DEAR RAFAEL I ANSWERED TO YOUR COMMENTS IN REGARD TO THE (KILLING AS MUCH GHARAPAGHTSIS)
I PERSONALLY WANTED TO SEE THROUGH A POSITIF ANGEL TER PEDROSYAN'S OPPOSITION.HIS INADEQUATE LANGUAGE TURNED ME OFF.I DO'NT BELIEVE AN EX. PRESIDENT SHOULD USE THAT KIND OF LANGUAGE ON HIS OPPONENT.
I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE PRESENT DUO ARE NOT WITHOUT THEIR OWN MISTAKES. TO RUN ARMENIA IS NOT AN EAZY JOB... WE ARE ALL HOT BLOODED PEOPLE AND IT IS TO OUR DEPREMENT.MY FRIEND WE ARE TRYING TO BUILT A COUNTRY OUT OF A FAILED SOVIET UNION.TER PETROSYAN DELIVERED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THAN.... TO TRY TO COME BACK WITH REVENGE.... IS NOT CORRECT.
MIHRAN</li></ul>
Ed inch iravunkov es du hamardzkvum ed Hayerin anvanel turk?
Who gives you the right to call Kharabakh Armenians a turk? You have no moral right to say about any Armenian a turk, that's very low of you!
Secondly, these People are brought to you by levon, the best zionoist who is responsible for any death in Armenia, who was in that riot against the Constitution of ARMENIA! - Anahit
145 days before | 
Headlines for March 01, 2008
TER-PETROSIAN ‘UNDER HOUSE ARREST,’ RALLY BROKEN UP
By Ruzanna Khachatrian, Astghik Bedevian and Emil Danielyan 8Former President Levon Ter-Petrosian was reportedly placed under house arrest early Saturday after the Armenian police and other security services used force to disperse his supporters camped in Yerevan’s ...TER-PETROSIAN DEFIANT AS SUPPORTERS CLASH WITH POLICE
By Ruzanna Stepanian and Emil Danielyan
Thousands of angry opposition supporters again gathered in Yerevan and clashed with police on Saturday as their leader, former President Levon Ter-Petrosian, pledged to continue to challenge the official ...ARMENIAN POLICE DEFEND USE OF FORCE
By Astghik Bedevian 3
The Armenian police defended on Saturday the forcible break-up of the eleven-day peaceful opposition demonstration in Yerevan, portraying the use of force as a preemptive action against “mass riots” allegedly ...YEREVAN PROTESTS RESUME DESPITE GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
By Emil Danielyan, Ruzanna Khachatrian and Ruzanna Stepanian
The post-election unrest in Armenia deepened on Saturday evening as thousands of people rallied and barricaded themselves on a major street intersection in central Yerevan in anticipation of another government ...
Similar headlines for (last 7 days) new!
OPPOSITION PARTY MULLING JOINING NEW TER-PETROSIAN BLOC
By Anna SaghabalianSARKISIAN SUMS UP 100 DAYS IN POWER
By Emil Danielyan and Ruzanna StepanianPACE CHIEF IN STARK WARNING TO YEREVAN
By Ruzanna Stepanian
Most read news (last 7 days)
TER-PETROSIAN ‘UNDER HOUSE ARREST,’ RALLY BROKEN UP
By Ruzanna Khachatrian, Astghik Bedevian and Emil Danielyan
MORE ARMENIAN DIPLOMATS BACK TER-PETROSIAN
By Emil DanielyanTER-PETROSIAN DEFIANT AS SUPPORTERS CLASH WITH POLICE
By Ruzanna Stepanian and Emil DanielyanTER-PETROSIAN CONTINUES RALLIES AMID MORE ARRESTS
By Astghik Bedevian and Karine KalantarianARMENIAN POLICE DEFEND USE OF FORCE
By Astghik BedevianKOCHARIAN TELLS MILITARY, POLICE TO THWART ‘OPPOSITION COUP’
By Armen DulianSARKISIAN DECLARED ELECTION WINNER AMID RISING TENSIONS
By Emil Danielyan and Ruzanna StepanianSARKISIAN APPEALS TO ARMENIANS AS PROTESTS GROW
By Emil Danielyan, Astghik Bedevian and Ruzanna StepanianDASHNAKS ACCEPT SARKISIAN VICTORY
By Emil DanielyanTER-PETROSIAN VOWS TO CONTINUE PROTESTS
By Emil Danielyan, Ruzanna Khachatrian and Hovannes Shoghikian
© AUA
Today in Armenian history- 0 World Civil Defense day.
- 1856 Birth of the cleric, historian, ethnologist, teacher and translator, Gyoot Aghanyan (Harootyoon Ter - Arakelian) in Tbilissi (Georgia). He translated literary classics and re-wrote Yeghisheh's "Vardanants Story" in modern Armenian. He wrote textbooks on religion and library science. He was the first in Eastern Armenia to publish a wall-calendar.
- 1857 Opening of the school at Varaga Monastery (western Armenia) for the education of "orphan and homeless" children.
- 1865 Birth in Tbilisi of Teegran Hovhannisian, translator and lawyer. He translated the novels "Harootyoon" (Resurrection) written by Lev Tolstoy and "Arants Davananki" (Without Faith) written by Henry Senkeveech.
- 1867 Birth of the writer Nar-Dos (Meekael Hovhannisyan) in Tbilissi (Georgia). He died in 1933.
- 1901 Birth of the poet Sarmen (Armenak Sargsian) in Pakhvants (Western Armenia). Many popular songs have been written using his poems as lyrics.
- 1915 The First Meeting of Armenian immigrants took place in Echmiadsin. The meeting tried to integrate the work of the many benevolent unions that were created to help the survivors of the 1915 Genocide.
- 1920 Azeri Turks perpetrate the Genocide of Shooshee. Some 20 000 Armenians are killed.
- 1920 The Government allots 50 million rubles for agricultural development. Agricultural tractors are brought to Armenia for the first time.
- 1930 The Sardarapat tractor plant starts production.
- 1934 Death in Yerevan of Toros Toramanyan (architecture historian).
- 1960 Martiros Saryan is awarded the title "People's Painter of the USSR".
Forum most active discussions
ARMENIAN NEWS
INTERACTIVE NEWS
INFORMATION
MY ARMTOWN
How to quit smoking?
How to write in Armenian on Windows XP?
All materials published on this website are taken from open sources and are copyrighted by their respective owners. You cannot reproduce or copy any materials published on armtown.com without written consent of original copyright holder. If you want to remove any material, please send us an email with proof of ownership/copyright and your material will be removed immediately. All materials published for information purposes only.