The police will negotiate with the armed group to the last hope to settle the situation at Erebuni Police Department in Yerevan by peaceful means, Deputy Chief of Armenian Police Hunan Poghosyan told reporters on July 17.
ArmInfo’s correspondent quotes him as saying that at the moment 7 people are still being held as hostages. Colonel Artur Vanoyan has been killed. Lieutenant-colonels Aram Hovhannisyan, Hrach Hostegyan and officer Gagik Mkrtchyan have been wounded. Hunan Poghosyan confirmed that the gunmen do not allow Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police Valery Osipyan to leave the building. Poghosyan said that the armed group members only demand releasing Zhirayr Sefilyan. “But this demand cannot be carried out. We urge the gunmen to lay down arms and bend to the authorities’ demand. We have enough forces to neutralize and detain them,” Poghosyan said.
After Poghosyan’s press conference, two citizens were detained and the police did not explain why.
To note, Artsakh war hero Zhirayr Sefilyan's armed supporters, who have seized the territory of the Erebuni Police Department in Yerevan, demand that Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan should resign and a government of national confidence should be formed.
Actually, the information that Deputy Chief of Armenian Police, General Vardan Yeghiazaryan was taken hostage has proved to be false. The gunmen are holding Deputy Chief of Yerevan Police Valery Osipyan as a hostage. The armed group is headed by Zhirayr Sefilyan's supporters, Artsakh war veterans Varuzhan Avetisyan and Pavlik Manukyan.
Some media outlets report that the group members are not going to negotiate with the authorities until Sefilyan is released from arrest and until he assumes the mission of negotiating with the authorities. Meanwhile, the territory is cordoned off by the Police troops and trucks, which obstruct the view.