Eurasia Insight:
ARMENIAN POLICE FORCIBLY DISPERSE OPPOSITION PROTESTERS
3/01/08
A EurasiaNet Partner Post from RFE/RL

Police in Armenia have forcibly cleared demonstrators who had been camping out in central Yerevan for the past 10 days to protest against the results of last month's presidential election.

Opposition presidential candidate Levon Ter-Petrossian, the second-place finisher who is leading the protests, says he has been placed under house arrest, while a number of his followers were detained.

His campaign office has said that supporters would "try" to press ahead with a rally scheduled for today, and subsequent reports indicated that thousands had assembled in the city center.

An RFE/RL correspondent reported a large police presence was in the vicinity of the crowd, which was calling for Ter-Petrossian to join them. Daily rallies following the February 19 vote had attracted tens of thousands of protesters to Armenia's Liberty Square. A tent camp was set up and participants vowed to remain on the square until their demands for a new election were met. But after the official winner of the election, Serzh Sarkisian, secured key support for the formation of a coalition government on February 29, the authorities made good on their earlier threats to break up the rallies. Hundreds of police and Interior Ministry troops surrounded the square at 7:00 a.m. local time on the morning of March 1, using truncheons, tear gas, and electric stun guns to break up the crowd. Police reportedly forced scores of protesters onto buses, taking them to local police stations.

Witnesses say there were injuries among the demonstrators, and RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported that opposition figure and member of parliament Armen Martirosian has been hospitalized for injuries received during the crackdown.

Former President Ter-Petrossian described the morning's events in an interview with RFE/RL. "People were sleeping quietly. [Security forces] came in large numbers with truncheons and started beating. At that time I was near the microphone and I called on people to stay calm," he said. "[Security forces] didn't start the beating immediately. First they stood in front of people and I urged people not to get in contact with them and to stay quiet to see what they want. But nobody told us anything, nothing was negotiated. And they suddenly attacked people with truncheons and electric stun guns." Ter-Petrossian later told RFE/RL that he was escorted by police to his home, and placed under house arrest.

Within hours of the police action, OSCE Chairman in Office Ilkka Kanerva condemned the use of force against peaceful demonstrators.

"I urge the authorities to use maximum restraint," Kanerva said. "I am troubled that there are reports of casualties. I urge the authorities to release those detained, and I again call on the government and the opposition to engage in dialogue."

The Armenian authorities have claimed that police officers were wounded and that weapons were found in the protestors' camp. Police chased media away from the square as army trucks arrived to take away the makeshift tent camp. Protesters later regrouped in front of the French Embassy as units of riot police were arriving at the scene.

Opposition supporters had been protesting daily in Liberty Square since Prime Minister Sarkisian was elected to replace his ally, Robert Kocharian, as president. Official results gave Sarkisian nearly 53 percent of the vote, with Ter-Petrossian getting 21.5 percent. Ter-Petrossian is claiming that he is the rightful first-round winner, and that Sarkisian used ballot stuffing and intimidation to steal victory. Sarkisian has denied the charges. In its initial assessment, the election-monitoring arm of the OSCE declared the election "mostly in line" with Armenia's international commitments, while also noting the need for "further improvements." The elections have been endorsed by the European Union and the U.S. State Department has congratulated the Armenian people on an "active" and "competitive" election. Authorities had warned that their patience with the protests in Yerevan was running out, and alleged that those behind the rallies plan to seize power illegally. Prior to the breakup of the rallies, the Council of Europe and the OSCE had called on the Armenian authorities to exercise restraint. The United States Mission to the OSCE said Washington was "very concerned" about the post-election arrests of opposition politicians, as well as reports that authorities have forcibly closed opposition offices. At least six prominent opposition figures close to Ter-Petrossian have been placed in pretrial custody on a number of criminal charges, including illegal arms possession and assault. On February 29, Sarkisian's efforts to gain acceptance for his victory received a boost when he reached a deal on the formation of a coalition government with the third-place finisher in the elections. Before agreeing to become Security Council secretary in the next government, Orinats Yerkir party leader Artur Baghdasarian had decried the election as deeply flawed.

Editor’s Note: RFE/RL's Armenian Service contributed to this report.