Armenian police officers began mass detentions of opposition activists and supporters who have been blocking downtown Yerevan streets since today’s morning in a fresh bid to build up pressure on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and make him resign.
Armenia’s two parliament-represented opposition alliances – Hayastan and Pativ Unem, led formally by ex-presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan respectively- -accuse Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of planning to give away all of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.
The accusations have increased after Pashinyan told lawmakers last month that the “international community calls on Armenia to scale down its demands on Karabakh’s self-determination”.
According to the latest official data, as many as 120 opposition activists and supporters have been detained already.
Traffic in the center of Yerevan is extremely hindered; Baghramyan Avenue, intersections of Khorenatsi and Agatangehos streets, Myasnikyan, Arshakunyats, Gr. Lusavorich avenues and others are practically blocked. Demonstrators chant "Armenia without Nikol." In Shahumyan Square the protesters were pushed into police trucks and taken to police stations.
According to media reports, the detainees are accused of disobedience to legal demands of the police (Article 182 of the Code of Administrative Violations), ARKA reports.
