ARMENIAN MILITARY WARNS AGAINST MORE PROTESTS

The Armenian military urged Yerevan residents Sunday to comply with a state of emergency imposed the previous night, warning that its soldiers deployed in the city center would “strictly” counter any attempts to stage more anti-governmenr rallies there. “I would like to warn all citizens that any attempt to organize or participate in events prohibited under the state of emergency would be adequately and strictly countered by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia,” Colonel-General Seyran Ohanian, chief of the army staff, said in a televised address to the nation. “I particular, I am asking you to refrain from attempting to assemble in Yerevan even in small groups,” said Ohanian. The army would step in at the “slightest” sign of such attempts, he added. Hundreds of troops backed by armored vehicles continued to patrol key squares and street junctions in downtown Yerevan as of Sunday evening. In particular, they cordoned off the sreet where riot police fought pitched battles with angry supporters of former President Levon Ter-Petrosian. Troop presence was also strong outside Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian’s office and Liberty Square where thousands of Ter-Petrosian supporters had been camped for 11 days. President Robert Kocharian, meanwhile, visited the site of the protest littered with stones and other traces of the late-night violence. Television images showed him inspecting the charred hulk of a police vehicle set ablaze by protesters outside the Yerevan mayor’s office. Kocharian’s office said the outgoing president also discussed the post-election unrest in Armenia in a phone conversation with Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign and security policy chief. It said Solana expressed his “solidarity with the president and the people of Armenia” and pledged to send a special envoy to Armenia. (Photolur photo)

<< | Home | >>

E-mail article | Discuss article new!

RSS © Armenialiberty

Headlines for March 02, 2008

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION ENDS PROTESTS AFTER TER-PETROSIAN APPEAL
2
The standoff between Armenian security forces and thousands of opposition protesters appeared to have ended without further violence early Sunday after opposition leader Levon Ter-Petrosian urged his ...
U.S. CALLS FOR END TO VIOLENCE IN ARMENIA
dpa 4
The United States has spoken with Armenia's government and opposition leaders to urge a resumption of political dialogue and an end to violent clashes, U.S. officials said late Saturday. "Both sides ...
AT LEAS EIGHT KILLED IN ARMENIAN POST-ELECTION PROTESTS
At least eight people were killed and dozens of others injured in the violent standoff between security forces and thousands of opposition protesters in Yerevan that ended early Sunday following a state ...
AT LEAST EIGHT KILLED IN ARMENIAN POST-ELECTION UNREST
At least eight people were killed and hundreds of others injured in the violent standoff between security forces and thousands of opposition protesters in Yerevan that ended early Sunday following a state ...
ARMENIAN MILITARY WARNS AGAINST MORE PROTESTS
The Armenian military urged Yerevan residents Sunday to comply with a state of emergency imposed the previous night, warning that its soldiers deployed in the city center would “strictly” counter any ...
OSCE SENDS ENVOY TO ARMENIA IN BID TO END UNREST
Reuters
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe sent a special envoy to Armenia on Sunday in a bid to end the country's worst unrest in a decade. "I have sent my special envoy to try to bring ...