0 8000 12 11

The Union of Informed Citizens brings to public attention the statistics on the participation of citizens in the recent joint rallies held by the movement “My Step” initiated by the leader of the NA Yelk (Way Out) Faction Nikol Pashinyan and the initiative “Reject Serzh”

As of 7.30 pm, April 13, Republic Square – 4,500 people

As of 7.30 pm, April 14, France Square – 3,000 people

As of 7.30 pm, April 15, France Square – 1,900 people

As of 2.00 pm, April 16, France Square – 3,000 people

As of 8.20 pm, April 17, Republic Square – 33,000-35,000 people

The number of rally participants was calculated in the photographs taken by an unmanned aerial vehicle, using a special method of calculation.

As of 6.00 pm Yerevan time

As of 5.00 pm, 37 of the 91 citizens detained and taken to police stations were released. This was reported by the representatives of the Yelk (Way Out) Faction, who visited the police stations today.

As of 3.30 pm, the RA Police informed “Azatutyun” (Freedom) Radio Station that there were 20 minors detained.

The Police also informed lragir.am that 84 persons were detained and taken to different police subdivisions in Yerevan on April 18. Administrative proceedings were initiated against 30 persons, and they were released.

54 persons were taken to pre-investigation bodies on suspicion of committing crimes.

A little earlier, human rights organizations released a statement on the impermissibility of holding the persons detained and taken to police stations in the morning for longer than the established timeframe and demanded to immediately release the citizens held in detention unlawfully.

In particular, it was mentioned that 18 citizens detained and taken to the Police Division of Kentron had been detained for longer than the established timeframe of 3 hours on the pretext of being questioned as witnesses.

The Human Rights Defender of the RA considered holding minors in police station without any grounds and made a demand to immediately release them.

Prior to this, we reported that a great number of youths had been groundlessly detained and taken to police stations mostly from the territory of educational institutions and parks, where gatherings of people had been observed.

News websites posted videos on police officers in civilian clothing making attempts at kidnapping people.

As of 2.00 pm Yerevan time

The RA Police reported to “Azatutyun” (Freedom) Radio Station that as of 12.00 there are 66 detained persons in police divisions.

According to the information available to us, a great number of youths were detained in different parts of Yerevan, especially in the vicinity of educational institutions and parks, where there are just accumulations of people.

The protest actions continue in other parts towns of Armenia. The doors of some educational institutions are locked in Gyumri and Vanadzor; the students there are not allowed to exit.

At the RA Special Investigation Service criminal actions were initiated on April 13 and 16, 2018 in regard to protesters entering educational institutions and the building of the Armenian Public Radio. They are charged with holding an assembly in violation of the procedure established by the law and with organizing mass disorders.

A demonstration is set to be held at 7.00 pm at the Republic Square in Yerevan.

As of 12.30 pm Yerevan time

The police detained a group of protesters on Mashtots Avenue and France Square and took them away in buses.

Later, the police representatives assured Nikol Pashinyan that all those detained would be released. The exact number of the detained persons is unknown.

Protesters entered the territory of Yerevan State University and urged to stage a boycott of classes.

In a new statement, the RA Police again called upon assembly participants to cease it.

The RA Ministry of Healthcare informed that 5 citizens injured during the assembly continue to receive medical assistance.

It should be recalled that 46 persons were hospitalized on April 16, when demonstrators were trying to overcome the barbed wires placed along Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan and move forward to the building of the National Assembly, and the police applied special measures against them.

As of 10.00 am Yerevan time

Yesterday, on April 17, 2018, during the assembly, Nikol Pashinyan urged the protesters to rest at night and to start the actions at 10 am the following day. The action plan is the same: to block streets and surround buildings of state institutions.

A few hours after the assembly, a group of persons, who presented themselves as protesters, started to demonstrate aggressive behavior, breaking street signs and traffic lights, swearing and throwing stones at police officers.

They aggressively attempted to also obstruct the work of the journalists that were there, demanding that they should not film the incident.

Right after the incident, Nikol Pashinyan announced that the aforementioned persons had no connection with the movement and were provocateurs and urged the citizens who mistakenly appeared in that place to run away from there.

As at 2.00 pm on April 17, as reported by a1plus.am, the Police informed that the number of detained persons is 80.