Let’s just hope that the authorities do not crack down so harshly on protests after elections on May 12th.

we can only cross our fingers and wait…

E-channel has more.

After the gathering of the opposition on May 9, the participants started walking to the building of the National Security service where arrested Alexander Arzumanyan, Vardan Malkhasyan and Zhirayr Sefilyan were being detained. The participants of the peaceful rally were met by the “Red Berets” of the 6th administration. One of the participants of the rally, young journalist Aram Voskanyan, has the impression that the police were waiting for the rally participants, “all set,” in Nalbandyan Street.

“The clash was partially evoked by the rally participants as well,” Onik Grigoryan tells. “But that is not significant. For me, the significant thing is the disrespectful attitude of the police towards reporters.”

“They saw me taking pictures, attacked me, dropped me to the ground and started cursing,” photographer Gaguik Shamshyan tells. “They wanted to take my photo camera but they could not. I said, you are doing your job, I am doing mine. If tomorrow somebody hits you I will take those pictures as well.

Witnesses tell that reporters, especially those with photo or video camera, were in the center of the “special” attention of the police. Law enforcement bodies were doing everything to prohibit taking pictures. The police used tear gas that made reporter Tsovinar Nazaryan from Hayastani Hanrapetutyun suffer as well. She says she has swallowed the tear gas by chance: the policemen did not know Tsovinar was a journalist.

“Hindrance to the professional activities of a journalist is a violation of the law, and it is punished by the 164th article of the criminal code. If the police knew they were journalists and impeded them, it is called hindrance to the professional activities of a journalist,” the Internews lawyer Olga Safaryan comments.

Since August, 2003 up to now, only one judgment has been passed in Armenia according to the article 164, and one criminal case has been discontinued. Meanwhile, numerous cases of hindrance to the professional activities of journalists have been recorded for that period. According to Olga Safaryan, journalists mainly refused to defend their rights since “they don’t trust the law, the court and the prospect to change anything.”

“My main concern about yesterday’s incidents is about the attitude of the policemen,” Onik Grigoryan says. “Whatever happens after May 12, reporters are obliged to cover it. The police have no right to treat reporters as enemies.”

Incidentally, the article says that Dean Cox, EurasiaNet’s photo editor was hindered in his activities outside the NSS building, but as far as I am aware that was not the case. However, I’ll check and update you all on that when I know for sure.

Head of the Yerevan Administration Staff refuted the statements of the Armenian opposition representatives, according to which the procession of May 9 was approved

Yerevan, May 10. /Mediamax/. The application on holding on May 9 a procession in the center of Yerevan, submitted by three oppositional forces, was not met, Head of the City Administration Staff Grigor Melkumian stated in an interview to Mediamax today.

Grigor Melkumian said this, commenting on Mediamax’s request on the statement of the representatives of the “Impeachment” bloc and “Republic” and “New Times” parties, according to which the procession, organized in the evening of May 9 was approved and the measures with the use of force, taken up by the Police, were illegal.

Grigor Melkumian informed that on May 5, the representatives of the abovementioned forces Petros Makeian and David Matevosian turned to the Yerevan City Administration, asking the City Authorities to allow them holding a procession by Matenadaran- Mashtots avenue–Amirian street–Republic Square route after the approved rally of May 9.

According to Melkumian, on May 7, the plenipotentiary of the Mayor Gagik Baghdasarian held the discussion of the application, during which the authors of the very application were present. “Taking into account the fact that on May 9, there are many celebration events, dedicated to the Victory Day and the Day of Shushi liberation, taking place, in connection with which the transport movement is limited, the plenipotentiary informed that the City Administration cannot meet their application and proposed to work out another rout”, Grigor Melkumian stated.

According to him, Petros Makeian and David Matevosian refused to accept the proposal, after which, in accordance with the legislation, there was a protocol composed, which was forwarded to the initiators of the procession on the same day.–0–

The union of three oppositional forces plans “to realize a democratic revolution, to banish the ruling regime and hold new parliamentary and presidential elections in Armenia”

Yerevan, May 10. /Mediamax/. Member of the Political Council of the “Republic” Party Suren Sureniants stated in Yerevan today that “yesterday’s rally proved that the public has a more determined mood than it did in 2003”.

Mediamax reports that, speaking at a news conference in Yerevan today, Suren Sureniants stated that “yesterday the people saw the real format of the opposition, that is - the “Impeachment” bloc and the “Republic” and “New Times” parties”.

According to him, if during the previous pre-election campaigns the oppositional forces were for the reestablishment of justice, “today the task of preserving the civil dignity dominates”.

Suren Sureniants noted that the union of the “Impeachment” bloc, together with the “Republic” and “New Times” parties, “was formed spontaneously, however, it has a single ideology – to realize democratic revolution, to banish the ruling regime and to hold new parliamentary and presidential elections in Armenia”.

Answering Mediamax’s question on which the difference of their union from the “Justice” bloc, formed in 2003, is, Suren Sureniants stated that “the forces, entering the “Justice” bloc, did not have a single ideology, whereas we have set the most important task for ourselves - to reach the resignation of the ruling regime, and we have more resource of confidence among the population”.–0–