Hostage taking 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis

1 hostage taking

1.1 solidarity
1.2 crisis ends
1.3 aftermath

hostage taking

the daredevils of sassoun took on ereubuni police station in yerevan around 5:30 a.m. on july 17, 2016. armed group drove vehicle through front door of police station. 1 policeman killed , @ least 2 injured (one of them died in hospital in 13 august). 9 people taken hostage. 2 policemen released following negotiations. general vitaly balasanyan, mediator between government , opposition, said released yerevan s deputy police chief valery osipyan , national deputy police chief vardan yeghiazaryan. throughout day facebook inaccessible , websites of media outlets reporting on developments being shut down.

on july 21, after releasing 2 hostages, gunmen still held onto 4 hostages total. these hostages included: general major vardan egiazaryan, deputy head of armenian police force, , colonel valeri osipyan, deputy chief of yerevan’s municipal police force. during siege 2 of armed men have sustained injuries

on july 22, president serzh sargsyan addressed nation , said, urge armed people, have occupied territory of police headquarters, show restraint , not endanger lives of others reckless moves. hostages must released,” , added armed group must surrender weapons. same day, armenian revolutionary federation-supreme body of armenia condemned acts of sasna tsrer stating, a.r.f.-dashnaktsutyun seeks settlement of current situation exclusively peaceful means, considers new bloodshed unacceptable, demands professionalism law enforcing agencies, demands rights , dignity of law-abiding citizens respected, , condemns non-political methods , extremist thinking.

on 23 july, there indications standoff over. 4 officers set free, included vartan yeghiazarian , valeri osipinian. during negotiations, armenian law enforcement allowed sasna tsrer speak journalists in designated neutral zone around occupied police station. approximately 40 reporters held news conference not allowed hold live broadcast. @ news conference, pavlik manukyan stated police department has become evil people , enjoy lavish life styles use of unnecessary military equipment policing.

on 25 july, gunmen had set police vehicle on fire inside headquarters, according police spokesman ashot aharonian. third vehicle have been burned in 2 days.

on july 27, 4 medics allowed enter police station treat araik handonyan, 1 of armed men wounded in leg refused go hospital.

on july 30, police issued ultimatum release hostages , vacate building or prepare police assault. sasna tsrer opened fire , shot down officer. group surrendered day avoid further bloodshed. after surrendering, group issued statement saying, continue our struggle prison. believe have achieved our goal: became spark allowed people rise , makes no sense spill blood.

demonstrators chose march down baghramyan avenue towards presidential residence , government buildings met police, placed coils of barbed wire across avenue stop protests. demonstrators still managed block traffic 2 hours , dispersed following day.

solidarity

over 1,500 anti-government protesters held rally in yerevan on 18 july, calling peaceful resolution crisis. violent protests occurred opposition supporters threw stones @ police outside hostage situation. hit tear gas , stun grenades. on 25 july, in large show of support, thousands of protesters marched in yerevan chanting unity , called bystanders join them—who swelled numbers—as march progressed toward yerevan’s central republic square. on 28 july, protesters growing in number -ranging between 12,000 , 20,000-, riot police fired stun , flash grenades on 1 group of protesters , journalists, while large group of plainclothes police attacked them metal rods, , entered neighboring homes. 60 people injured. international community condemned these attacks , attacks on journalists. 14 journalists attacked during incident. popular political activiests arrested including alexander yenikomshian, armen martirosyan, andrias ghukasyan, david sanasaryan. yeghishe petrosyan, 1 of leaders of ardzagank rock band, arrested , released.

crisis ends

on 31 july, crisis ended after gunmen surrendered following police threats storm building. police reported 20 gunmen arrested , police station unoccupied. health ministry spokeswoman anahit haytayan announced last 2 remaining hostages, both medics in compound treat wounded of own volition, had been released. before surrendering, attackers released statement read: continue our struggle prison. believe have achieved our goal: became spark allowed people rise , makes no sense spill blood. stated want people, , international community, realise national liberation movement against russian colonialism .

the protests in yerevan continued 1 11 august. on 4 august, during rally in yerevan, 20 protesters taken police custody.

aftermath

as result of internal investigation in armenian police, number of policemen fined. chief of yerevan police, lieutenant general ashot karapetyan, received strict warning , relieved of duties on 8 august. sacked upon order of armenian chief of police vladimir gasparyan.