Thursday, July 21 2016 06:41

 In negotiations with supporters of Zhirayr Sefilyan the authorities should consider the factor of weapons fallen in the rebels' hands, ex-foreign minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, independent analyst Arman Melikyan expressed this opinion to ArmInfo. 

"Several significant factors should be considered to understand how close Armenia is to the line beyond which anarchy and civil war starts. These factors were not reflected in mass media and analytical opinions of political experts and military specialists", he noted. 

To recall, on July 17, Artsakh war hero Zhirayr Sefilyan's armed supporters, who are calling themselves "Sasna Tsrer" (The Daredevils of Sasun), seized the building of the Patrol-Guard Service Regiment in Erebuni district of Yerevan.  They demand releasing Sefilyan, who was arrested on June 20 on suspicion of acquisition and keeping of weapons and ammunition. They also demand Serzh Sargsyan's resignation along with establishment of government of national confidence. 

In this context the analyst reminded about Zhirayr Sefilyan's call to volunteers who were ready to win back the positions lost during the April war. The expert noted that around 2000 warriors ready to take weapons responded to his call. Thus, as a result of attack on Sunday on the building of the Patrol-Guard Service Regiment Sefilyan's supporters gained armory necessary to arm volunteers and possibly those people who will wish to join them. 

Melikyan noted that besides the rebels themselves no one can say for sure whether this armory is still in the warehouses or has been fully or partly taken out to an undisclosed direction, as the policemen were able to block all the entrances and the territory around the building only after 1 or 1.5 hours after the attack.  

"This time was quite enough for solving the issue of taking out the weapons. The factor of weapons, fallen in the rebels hands, should be surely considered by the representatives of the authorities during negotiations with Sefilyan and his supporters. The rebels in turn have of course considered this factor when planning the seizure of the building of the Patrol-Guard Service Regiment in Yerevan", the analyst summarized. 

To note, 136 people were detained following clashes between the demonstrators and policemen at Khorenatsi Street overnight. The demonstrators started to throw stones on the law enforces, when the latter did not answer anything to their request to send food to the armed group. The policemen used special measures to drive off the crowd. The protesters built barricades from trashcans on the territory.  According to the Healthcare Ministry 45 injured people including 25 policemen applied to medical centers after clashes at Khorenatsi Street.