Yerevan protesters put forward new demands

Today, the initiative group "No to robbery!" has announced its new demands to the authorities declared in the statement released today. Apart from the demand to revise and cancel the decision of the Commission to Regulate Public Services (CRPS) to increase the electricity tariff, activists have demanded to "reconsider the electricity tariff established last year in order to reduce it," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 17, the Commission for Regulation of Public Services (CRPS) of Armenia made a decision to increase electricity tariffs, starting from August 1, by 6.93 drams per 1 kW/h. On June 19, in the Armenian capital, activists declared a sit-in strike demanding from the President to cancel the decision to raise the prices for electricity. On June 22, they began a march to the presidential residence; however, by the morning of June 23, the protestors in Bagramyan Avenue were dispersed by the police. On June 23, a new rally was started in the centre of Yerevan.

In its statement, the initiative group also demands from the authorities to punish the "policemen who used, in violation of the law, force against peaceful demonstrators on Bagramyan Avenue" and "the initiators of the dispersal of the protest action."

More than 1000 protesters continue their sit-in strike in Bagramyan Avenue in Yerevan for the third day.

In their turn, policemen have removed the cordon, leaving only the iron fence, blocking the way to the president's residence.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.