Wednesday, July 20 2016 04:07

"We offer our thoughts and prayers to the families of the police officers who were killed or injured during - I think the incident took place Sunday in Yerevan's Erebuni district. We obviously condemn strongly the use of violence to effect political change in Armenia or anywhere. We encourage Armenian authorities to handle the situation with appropriate restraint, but again, our condolences go out to those police officers who lost their lives in the attack," Mark C. Toner, Deputy Spokesperson of the US Department of State, said at a Daily Press Briefing.

"Using military force or force to overthrow a government is - a democratically elected government, is always a bad idea. We want to see political change through democratic processes. And so we would certainly want to caution anybody who thinks that violence is a plausible way to achieve any political aims," he said.

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. The armed group is still holding police as hostages. Deputy Head of the Patrol- Guard Service Regiment, Colonel Artur Vanoyan was killed in the incident. Armenian MP Nikol Pashinyan says that during his visit to the Erebuni Police Department building he saw 26 members of the "Sasna Tsrer" group.

On June 20, 2016, Zhirayr Sefilyan was detained on suspicion of organizing a criminal group. 8 persons face charges of acquisition and keeping of weapons and ammunition. 6 have been arrested and 1 is wanted. According to the Special Investigative Service of Armenia, Sefilyan and his supporters were planning to seize buildings of state importance in early April. Two-month arrest has been chosen as a measure of restraint against Sefilyan, however, his supporters think the case is a frame-up and the arrest is political persecution for his political views, activities and statements about the territorial losses the Armenian side suffered during the April war.