Armed men in Armenia seize police station, demand politicians’ release

Armed men seized a police station and hostages in Armenia’s capital Yerevan on 17 July 2016, killing a police officer, demanding Armenians take to the streets to secure the release of jailed opposition politicians.

Their main demand was to free Jirair Sefilian, an opposition leader whom the authorities had accused of plotting civil unrest. Sefilian was jailed in June over allegations of illegally possessing weapons.

• Primary Source

The Guardian, 17.07.16: Armenian opposition group takes hostages in Yerevan police building https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/17/armenia-opposition-group-hostages-yerevan-police-building

The New York Times, 18.07.16: Hostage Standoff at Yerevan Police Building in Armenia Enters 2nd Day http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/world/europe/armenia-yerevan-hostage.html

BBC News, 17.07.16: Armenia police station stormed in Yerevan with hostages taken http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36818929

Euronews, 17.07.16: Armenia: gunmen storm police station in Yerevan http://www.euronews.com/2016/07/17/armenia-gunmen-storm-police-station-in-yerevan/

Deutsche Welle, 17.07.16: Armed group seizes police building, takes hostages in Armenia capital http://dw.com/p/1JQL3

BBC News, 31.07.16: Armenia gunmen surrender after seizing police station http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36937346

Deutsche Welle, 31.07.16: Gunmen kill second police officer in Armenia standoff http://dw.com/p/1JZ7M

EU: EEAS: Press Release, 30.07.16: Statement by the Spokesperson on the latest developments in Armenia http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2016/160730_01_en.htm

OSCE: OSCE Office in Yerevan: News, 30.07.16: Statement by the Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan http://www.osce.org/yerevan/257176

ESO: Background information: Nagorno-Karabakh: Unstable frozen conflict http://www.europeansources.info/record/nagorno-karabakh-unstable-frozen-conflict/

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