Epress.am News from Armenia
4:10pm: Serzh Sargsyan minutes ago officially resigned as Prime Minister of Armenia. Sargsyan’s official statement says:
– Dear compatriots,
I address all citizens of the Republic of Armenia,
The elderly and my dearest youth, women and men,
I address those who stood in the streets day and night with the Reject Serzh call and those who kept getting to work through blocked streets these day to relentlessly carry out their duties;
I address those sat in front of live broadcasts for days and those who ensured public safety day and night;
I address our brave soldiers and officers, I address my comrades-in-arms;
I address my party-men, all political forces and politicians;
I address you for the last time as the leader of the country.
Nikol Pashinyan was right, I was wrong. The current situation has several solutions. But I won’t resort to any of those. That’s not for me. I am leaving the position of the head of state.
The street movement is against my rule. I am fulfilling your demand.
Peace, harmony and reason to our country.
Thank you.
3pm: Nikol Pashinyan, Sasun Mikayelyan and Ararat Mirzoyan were just released from a Yerevan detention facility. Pashinyan told reporters upon release that he would talk about his meeting with deputy prime minister Karen Karapetyan at the 7pm rally in the Republic Square.
1:50pm: People all over Armenia are blocking traffic on main highways; they promise to open the roads once Nikol Pashinyan is released.
1։30pm: Civil Contract party member Lena Nazaryan just went live on Facebook via Nikol Pashinyan’s official page to convey a message from Pashinyan: “Last night I met with National Assembly chairman Ara Babloyan. He invited me to sit at the negotiations table on the condition that all street rallies and marches are halted. I told him again that we would only negotiate over the terms of Serzh Sargsyan’s resignation. I also informed him that no single person was at this point entitled to tell the people what to do.
“I reminded Babloyan that depriving parliamentarians of their immunity is illegal, and if the NA makes such a decision on a single person’s political order, they would bring shame not only upon the Parliament but the whole county. He told me that the special NA session that was today scheduled to consider the issue has been postponed, which is very good.”
Nazaryan also said that Pashinyan is currently being held in a detention facility in Yerevan. She urged demonstrators to today gather for a rally in the Republic Square at 7pm.
1pm: Armenia’s deputy prime minister Karen Karapetyan said in an interview with journalists: “Today I will appeal to the Prosecutor General that the motion on the National Assembly MPs’ be withdrawn from the National Assembly. At the moment I am headed to a meeting with Nikol Pashinyan, so that we can negotiate and come to a solution.”
12:50pm: Several videos were published on Facebook, in which army personnel run out of their military units to supposedly join the mass opposition demonstrations. The servicemen can be hear chanting, “we stand by the people!”
Shortly after the videos appeared online, Civil Contract party member Ruben Rubinyan called on military personnel to refrain from getting engaged in political activities. “I want to remind that the army and the military should be apolitical and not interfere in the internal life of the country. The responsibility for preventing the participation of the army and the military in either opposition or pro-government political processes lies with the Ministry of Defense,” he wrote.
Social media users are also calling on protest leaders to make sure that the servicemen do not get involved in the protests: “If any of the leaders reads this, please urge conscripts to immediately return to their units; none of them has any excuse for leaving their place of service!”
11:06am: A number of streets across Yerevan are currently blocked; students of dozens of schools and universities have gone on a strike and are marching in Yerevan and other Armenian towns and village.
A number of investigators of the Yerevan division of Armenia’s Investigative Division working on a criminal case (N 13199318), against peaceful demonstrators have refused to carry out a Special Investigation Service order to arrest protesters. The investigators, according to our source, announced they would not press charges against the suspects in this case since they did not think these people had committed any crime. The investigators have also warned they would all resign from work if they were forced to carry out any orders. Many police officers who do not carry out external operations have also refused to take any active measures against peaceful demonstrators, the source told us.
“The dirty work is mainly carried out by the investigators of the Special Investigation Service. Some prosecutors also refuse to exercise control over the materials in this case,” the source said.
11am: The medical stuff of the Armenia Republican Hospital have blocked the Halabyan street, Union of Informed Citizens NGO coordinator Daniel Ioannisyan reports.
10:50am: Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan today avoided answering reporters’ questions on Nikol Pashinyan’s whereabouts. A journalist pointed out that Sargsyan is a board member of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia and asked whether he thought it was normal that Pashinyan’s family still had no information about his location. Sargsyan, however, advised that reporters should turn to the law enforcement agencies for this type of information.
10:35am: Police officers just tried to forcibly and violently detain a striking student of the Medical State University. During the scuffle with the officers the young man nearly fainted, according to a Facebook post by Hetq.am.
10:25am: Hundreds of people have already joined the strike of Yerevan State University students. The protesters are chanting, “Professors, join us!”
10։20am: According to the latest reports, students of over 20 Yerevan schools have started boycotting classes.
10:05am: Dozens of demonstrators have blocked the Koryun-Teryan intersection in the center of Yerevan. The chants and calls remain the same – “Reject Serzh!”
10am: The striking students of Yerevan State University intend to start a march from the university yard. Several parents have also joined the students. The demonstrators are chanting, “Free, Independent Student!”
9:50am: Dozens of students of several schools in Yerevan’s Ajapnyak district are currently marching towards downtown Yerevan. The protesters chant “Strike!” when passing by schools on their way.
Mary Qalantaryan on Facebook: Parents of N161 schools students have not only joined the strike but also intend to hold a rally outside the school.
9:40am: Dozens of Yerevan State University students are currently sitting outside the university building and refusing to go inside. Recall, YSU Restart students initiative representative Davit Petrosyan called on all YSU students during the Sunday rally in Republic Square to start boycotting classes on Monday.
9:10am: “National Assembly Chairman has just arrived at the Zvartnots airport and is driving straight to meet with MPs Sasun Mikayelyan, Ararat Mirzoyan and Nikol Pashinyan,” NA press service head Arsen Babayan wrote on Facebook about 8 hours ago.
“Ara Babloyan intends to request and advise his colleagues to enter into real negotiations in a proper negotiation environment.”
There have still been no reports on whether the meeting has taken place.
8:02am: Armenians in a number of countries continue expressing their support for the peaceful demonstrations in Armenia against Serzh Sargsyan’s PM appointment. Dozens of drivers have started a car march through Glendale streets and are sounding their horns in solidarity with protesters.
https://www.facebook.com/surenart/videos/vb.669434142/10155895078039143/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab
8am: Mass civil disobedience is expected to reconvene today across Armenia. Members of opposition Civil Contract party urged the over 100 000 demonstrators gathered in the Republic Square on Sunday evening to continue to stay true to the peaceful nature of the protest in their activities.
