Armenian police detain 46 young people, set six free
06.07.2015,
15:19
Armenian police have unblock a central avenue today in the capital city Yerevan that had been occupied for two weeks by mostly young people protesting against a planned rise in electricity price detaining 46 of them, a spokesman for police, Armen Malkhasyan told reporters.
YEREVAN, July 6. / ARKA /. Armenian police have unblock a central avenue today in the capital city Yerevan that had been occupied for two weeks by mostly young people protesting against a planned rise in electricity price detaining 46 of them, a spokesman for police, Armen Malkhasyan told reporters. He said six of the detained were set free immediately as being under age and the rest will be set free during the day.
Earlier, deputy chief of Yerevan Police Valery Osipyan said that none of the protesters would be held accountable.
Malkhasyan said police did not use force to unblock the Baghramyan Avenue. The young people were taken by their hands and drawn out of the street. The traffic was resumed. Riot police officers are now deployed along the pavements on the avenue. Earlier law enforcement officers cleared away the barricades built from garbage cans.
On June 17 Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) raised the prices of electricity by over 16 percent, down from 40 percent rise sought by Armenia’s national Russian owned power distributor company the Electricity Networks of Armenia. This decision triggered a civil movement No to Plunder that had been protesting the decision since 19th of June by blocking a central Yerevan street.
On June 26 president Serzh Sargsyan said the government will commission an audit of the company to find out whether the price hike approved by state regulators was economically justified or resulted from alleged corruption and mismanagement. The next day Sargsyan said the government will keep the tariffs unchanged for consumers by subsidizing their increased cost at least until the release of findings of the audit. -0 –
Earlier, deputy chief of Yerevan Police Valery Osipyan said that none of the protesters would be held accountable.
Malkhasyan said police did not use force to unblock the Baghramyan Avenue. The young people were taken by their hands and drawn out of the street. The traffic was resumed. Riot police officers are now deployed along the pavements on the avenue. Earlier law enforcement officers cleared away the barricades built from garbage cans.
On June 17 Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) raised the prices of electricity by over 16 percent, down from 40 percent rise sought by Armenia’s national Russian owned power distributor company the Electricity Networks of Armenia. This decision triggered a civil movement No to Plunder that had been protesting the decision since 19th of June by blocking a central Yerevan street.
On June 26 president Serzh Sargsyan said the government will commission an audit of the company to find out whether the price hike approved by state regulators was economically justified or resulted from alleged corruption and mismanagement. The next day Sargsyan said the government will keep the tariffs unchanged for consumers by subsidizing their increased cost at least until the release of findings of the audit. -0 –
