Yerevan Gunmen Set Police Car on Fire as ‘Act of Protest’

Members of the “Daredevils of Sasun” armed group set on fire a police car at the seized police headquarters in Yerevan’s Erebuni distric on Sunday “as an act of protest,” Founding Parliament representative Alek Yenigomshyan announced during a late Sunday assembly on the street leading to the occupied building.

According to Yenigomshyan, the gunmen were protesting against the authorities’ failure to provide their injured comrade with medical assistance, the fact that their electricity has been cut off and that they haven’t gotten any food for more than 22 hours.

During his speech, Yenigomshyan urged law enforcement officers not to obey “illegal orders” and to refrain from raising a hand against their own people.

Shortly after Yenigomshyan’s announcement, Armenia’s police also released a statement to report that the gunmen who have been occupying the police headquarters since last Sunday today set fire to one of the law enforcement agency’s service cars. “We urge the armed group not to undertake any acts that could endanger public health and safety and cause tensions to escalate,” officials said.