Demonstration against electricity price rise dispersed in Yerevan, journalists among 240 people detained
23.06.2015,
10:19
Early Tuesday morning the riot police dispersed the demonstration of activists protesting against the electricity price rise in Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan.
YEREVAN, June 23. /ARKA/. Early Tuesday morning the riot police dispersed the demonstration of activists protesting against the electricity price rise in Baghramyan Avenue in Yerevan.
According to the preliminary information, some 237 activists were detained, the press office of the police told Novosti-Armenia. Seven activists consulted a doctor, three were transferred to hospital. Eleven policemen suffered injuries, according to the police.
Local mass media report that journalists from Gala TV, Armenian service of Radio Liberty, Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, HETQ, news.am and panarmenian.net were detained and taken to police departments.
On June 19 protesters declared a three-day sit-in in Freedom Square in Yerevan. On Monday they marched to the presidential administration, but stopped after encountering a heavy police cordon. They eventually decided to proceed with their sitting strike on the approaches and demanded that the president cancel the latest rise in electricity price.
Deputy police chief Valery Osipyan conveyed to the demonstrators the request of his superior that the protesters form a 5-member group whom president Serzh Sargsyan is ready to receive to discuss the situation, but the protesters denied the offer. The police warned repeatedly that they will prevent attempts to disturb public order.
On June 17 Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) formally raised the prices of electricity by over 16 percent, down from 40 percent rise sought by Armenia’s Russian-owned power distribution company - the Electricity Networks of Armenia (ENA).
This means that the daytime electricity price for households will rise from 42 drams to almost 49 drams (10 U.S. cents) per kilowatt/hour. The households will pay almost 39 drams per kilowatt/hour during night hours.
The daytime electricity price for households already went up by 27 percent in July 2013 because of the increased cost of Russian natural gas generating more than one-third of Armenia’s electricity. The PSRC raised it by another 10 percent in July 2014. –0--
According to the preliminary information, some 237 activists were detained, the press office of the police told Novosti-Armenia. Seven activists consulted a doctor, three were transferred to hospital. Eleven policemen suffered injuries, according to the police.
Local mass media report that journalists from Gala TV, Armenian service of Radio Liberty, Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, HETQ, news.am and panarmenian.net were detained and taken to police departments.
On June 19 protesters declared a three-day sit-in in Freedom Square in Yerevan. On Monday they marched to the presidential administration, but stopped after encountering a heavy police cordon. They eventually decided to proceed with their sitting strike on the approaches and demanded that the president cancel the latest rise in electricity price.
Deputy police chief Valery Osipyan conveyed to the demonstrators the request of his superior that the protesters form a 5-member group whom president Serzh Sargsyan is ready to receive to discuss the situation, but the protesters denied the offer. The police warned repeatedly that they will prevent attempts to disturb public order.
On June 17 Armenia’s Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) formally raised the prices of electricity by over 16 percent, down from 40 percent rise sought by Armenia’s Russian-owned power distribution company - the Electricity Networks of Armenia (ENA).
This means that the daytime electricity price for households will rise from 42 drams to almost 49 drams (10 U.S. cents) per kilowatt/hour. The households will pay almost 39 drams per kilowatt/hour during night hours.
The daytime electricity price for households already went up by 27 percent in July 2013 because of the increased cost of Russian natural gas generating more than one-third of Armenia’s electricity. The PSRC raised it by another 10 percent in July 2014. –0--
