From the early morning of May 27, numerous acts of peaceful civil disobedience began across Armenia, including in the capital, Yerevan, on interstate roads, and in other provinces. Despite the non-violent nature of these actions, the police responded with disproportionate violence and brutality. To suppress the disobedience, the ruling authorities deployed the entire police system, including police troops, special forces, and the patrol service.
Citizens were illegally detained not only in the streets but also on sidewalks. This included members of the National Assembly, whose parliamentary immunity was violated, and their freedom of movement restricted. Police brutality was particularly notable near the office of the opposition party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, where members of parliament and other protesters were attacked. MP Ashot Simonyan was severely beaten, and women, including Mane Tandilyan, the leader of the “Country to Live” party and former MP, were dragged to the ground. Tear gas was used on protesters in Abovyan Street in Yerevan and in the city of Sisian.
Since late 2020, following the Artsakh war, the US has heavily trained and invested in a special police force in Armenia. This law enforcement group appears to regularly break local laws and regulations by physically injuring journalists, politicians, parents of fallen heroes,… pic.twitter.com/SPpILVrkjm
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) May 27, 2024
Members of the “Tavush for the Motherland” movement faced particularly brutal treatment during their detention. In contrast, the police remained inactive against other citizens who resorted to verbal and physical violence against protesters, including driving cars at high speed towards those blocking the streets, insulting, and assaulting them.
Repressions also targeted community leaders from Artsakh, aiming to terrorize Artsakh citizens who had recently faced ethnic cleansing by the dictatorial regime in Baku. The mayor of Stepanakert, David Sargsyan, was arrested to intimidate and prevent other Artsakh citizens from participating in rallies and acts of disobedience.
Responding to Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan’s call to resume acts of civil disobedience, protesters have intermittently blocked streets throughout Armenia. Within an hour of the street closures beginning, 169 people had already been detained by 10:10 am.
On May 26, during the… pic.twitter.com/UoBLXzOATL
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) May 27, 2024
It’s important to note that in the last week, the mayor of Artsakh’s Martakert, Misha Gyurjyan, was also arrested, while Askeran’s mayor, Hayk Shamiryan, was charged but avoided detention. These charges were brought forth following their support for the movement and the protests. Former State Minister Artak Beglaryan has labeled these charges as baseless.
On May 27, approximately three hundred citizens were detained by the police.
Summarizing the day, the leader of the “Tavush for the Motherland” movement, Archbishop Bagrat, thanked the citizens for their courage and civic commitment. Under his leadership, citizens traveled by motorcade to the Sardarapat Memorial Complex to spend the night there and celebrate the 106th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Armenia the next morning.
