09.06.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

President Kocharian appears to have warded off a challenge to his authority, surviving a two-month opposition protest campaign that aimed to force his resignation ("Armenian President In Control As Opposition Protests Fizzle Out") [#23222],  [ID 2826]

Document(s): Open document

10.05.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

Armenia’s leadership and its political opponents start talks to resolve confrontation over rule of President Kocharian ("Armenian Government, Opposition Declare Shaky Truce") [#22072],  [ID 2827]

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04.05.2004 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Report focused on abuses committed in the government’s recent crackdown against the political opposition (police violence, mass arrests) ("Cycle of repression: Human rights violations in Armenia") [#21895],  [ID 2828]

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27.04.2004 - Source: Caucasian Knot

Armenian opposition stops dialogue with the coalition of three ruling parties ("Armenian opposition stop dialogue with power") [#21655],  [ID 2829]

"The Armenian opposition have made a decision to stop dialogue with the coalition of three ruling parties, which has the majority of parliamentary seats, secretary of the opposition parliamentary faction Justice Viktor Dallakian told a press conference on Tuesday, April 27. Representatives of the opposition and faction leaders of the three-party coalition, composed of the Republican Party of Armenia, the Orinats Erkir (Country of Law) party, and the Dashnaktsutyun party, took part in the talks that were conducted earlier on Tuesday on the initiative of the parliament speaker."

Document(s): Open document

23.04.2004 - Source: Caucasian Knot

According to Viktor Dallakian, a leader of the Armenian opposition, participants of demonstration on April 21 suffer political persecution ("Opposition activists persecuted in Armenia") [#21642],  [ID 2830]

"Opposition activists who participated in the demonstration in the center of Yerevan on April 21 suffer political persecution, Viktor Dallakian, a leader of the Armenian opposition and secretary of the opposition parliamentary faction Justice, told a press conference on Friday, April 23. [...] According to Mr Dallakian, 22 people have been sentenced to administrative arrest from 21 to 23 April, criminal procedures under the article "hooliganism" have been instituted against another 13 people, 25 opposition activists have been fined."

Document(s): Open document

19.04.2004 - Source: Prima News

Opposition member Vagarshak Arutyunyan, Former Minister of Defence, arrested ("Former Minister of Defence of Armenia arrested") [#21461],  [ID 2831]

"On April 16th, the court of Yerevan complied with a request for the arrest of a member of the political council of “Republika”, the opposition party. This person was the former Armenian Defence Minister, General Lieutenant Vagarshak Arutyunyan. Arutyunyan was arrested on the night of April 13th during a dispersal of a peaceful demonstration by the opposition in the centre of Yerevan, carried out by specially positioned internal troops. He was charged with “the appropriation of state power”, “calls for forcible change of constitutional order” and “insulting representatives of the government”. Such a charge was made possible after the general prosecutor issued a statement on March 30th stating that criminal proceedings according to foregoing articles had been brought against all members of the “Ardarutyun” opposition party (Justice), who at their meetings since January 2004 had repeatedly spoken of starting permanent actions of protest to bring about the resignation of the president."

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16.04.2004 - Source: Presse

Opposition tries to oust president Kocharian from power ("Aufruhr à la Tiflis: "Robert, go home"") [#21773],  [ID 2832]

"Für heute, Freitag, hat die Opposition zu einer neuen Massendemonstration aufgerufen. Nicht nur die Bilder aus Jerewan gleichen denen aus Tiflis aufs Haar. Auch die Gründe für den Aufruhr sind identisch: Kotscharjan, 50, werden massive Fälschungen bei den diversen Wahlgängen vorgeworfen. Oppositionsführer Stepan Demirtschjan, ein Unternehmer, der auf radikale Reformen drängt, hatte die Wahlergebnisse immer sofort angefochten. Das Verfassungsgericht empfahl Kotscharjan daraufhin, per Referendum die Vertrauensfrage zu stellen. Der Spruch hatte jedoch nur empfehlenden Charakter. Doch nun scheint die Geduld der Massen am Ende: "Die Menschen", so Demirtschjan, "sind nicht mehr bereit, sich mit der Usurpation der Macht abzufinden." "Robert, go home" skandiert daher seit einer Woche die Menge auf der Straße. Seit Beginn der Woche mischen Polizei und Truppen des Innenministeriums mit, die das Zentrum hermetisch abgeriegelt haben. Ein Protestmarsch zum Regierungssitz wurde mit Wasserwerfern aufgelöst, später gingen Ordnungskräfte mit Schlagstöcken gegen Demonstranten vor. Die Büros der wichtigsten Oppositionsparteien wurden demoliert und geschlossen."

Document(s): Open document

15.04.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Yerevan: Dozens injured or arrested when police dispersed the demonstrators calling for the resignation of President Kocharian ("Armenian President Cracks Down") [#21368],  [ID 2833]

"Armenian president Robert Kocharian moved to suppress a campaign to remove him from office this week by ordering the brutal break-up of an opposition demonstration. Several people were wounded and many more were hurt in the early hours of April 13 when police dispersed the demonstrators in the centre of Yerevan with water cannons, batons and stun grenades. President Kocharian, who has been fighting a concerted opposition campaign against him for the last three months, inspired by Georgia’s “Rose Revolution” made it clear that he intends to hit back hard at his opponents. “The authorities have the resources to restrain political extremism in a legal way,” he said on television after the demonstration was broken up."

Document(s): Open document

14.04.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

Opposition leaders vow to press on with protest campaign to force President Kocharian’s resignation ("Armenian Opposition Vows More Protests Despite Government Crackdown") [#21468],  [ID 2834]

"The leaders of Armenia’s opposition vow to press on with a protest campaign designed to force President Robert Kocharian’s resignation, even after police resorted to force in breaking up a demonstration in Yerevan. The police action has prompted some international organizations, including the Council of Europe, to express concern about the democratization process in Armenia.

Government officials said 30 people were seriously injured when police charged about 2,000 opposition protesters in central Yerevan in the pre-dawn hours of April 13. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Opposition sources asserted that hundreds of people were injured, adding that most avoided seeking medial treatment out of fear of government reprisals, including arrest. Eyewitnesses added that police appeared to target journalists covering the demonstration.

Armenian police said 115 people were detained during the April 13 melee, with over 70 being released within 24 hours. Authorities maintained that police officers were provoked into charging the demonstrators. Numerous eyewitnesses contradicted the official account, saying protestors never made a move to break through a cordon set up by police on Marshal Baghramian Avenue.

In the aftermath of the April 13 clash, police raided the offices of leading opposition movements – the National Unity Party (AMK), the Republic Party and the People’s Party of Armenia – reportedly arresting numerous activists on charges ranging from "disruption of public order" to an attempt to "seize power." Police also attempted to search the homes of several prominent opposition leaders. The police action prompted top opposition figures to go into hiding to avoid potential detention. Only Republic Party leader Aram Sarkisian remained underground on April 14."

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14.04.2004 - Source: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

People injured and detained in the police action aimed to forcefully disperse the citizens and journalists gathered in front of the National Assembly ("OSCE Office concerned about violence in Armenia") [#21365],  [ID 2835]

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13.04.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

Police uses stun grenades and water cannon to disperse opposition protest in Yerevan ("Government Forcibly Breaks Up Opposition Protest") [#21467],  [ID 2836]

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13.04.2004 - Source: BBC News

Thousands of people staged a march on the presidential administration, demanding for President Robert Kocharyan to resign ("Armenians march against president") [#21303],  [ID 2837]

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09.04.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

Tens of thousands of people defied a government ban to rally in Yerevan ("Opposition Launches ’Permanent’ Protests In Yerevan") [#21466],  [ID 2838]

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08.04.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Opposition threatens to stage mass rallies in attempt to bring down President Robert Kocharian's government ("Political Tensions Grow") [#21242],  [ID 2839]

Document(s): Open document

06.04.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

According to opposition groups 200 supporters have been arrested across Armenia since April 1 ("Armenian Authorities Carry Out Preemptive Roundup Of Opposition Activists") [#21465],  [ID 2840]

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01.04.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

Opposition coalition plans to hold massive anti-government protests in early April ("Armenia Braces For Political Upheaval") [#20959],  [ID 2841]

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06.02.2004 - Source: EurasiaNet

The two main opposition groups cooperate on offensive against President Kocharian; boycott of parliament to force government to hold referendum of confidence ("Armenian Opposition Mounts Fresh Attack Against President") [#19494],  [ID 2842]

Document(s): Open document