Serzh Sargsyan offers rebels to lay down arms

Today, President Serzh Sargsyan has urged the supporters of the opposition, who seized the building of the patrol-and-security service of the police regiment in Yerevan, to comply with laws. The Armenian President has invited them to lay down their arms and free the hostages.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 17, supporters of the "Constituent Parliament" seized the building of the patrol-and-security service regiment of the police in Yerevan. During the seizure of the building, one policeman was killed, and other six persons were injured. The negotiations with the rebels, who seized the building, are underway, and four police officers are still held hostage. According to activists, for the third day, the rebels and their hostages still stay without food.

According to Serzh Sargsyan, all the possible measures are to be taken for a peaceful outcome of the situation and everything is to be done to defuse the tense situation. "In Armenia, the problems are not to be solved by violence, armed attacks, or hostage-taking. We won't let it. The upshot of this situation should be the most important test for Armenia, for our society, and for maturation of our state," announces the statement provided to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Serzh Sargsyan has called on the rebels, who seized the building "to exercise restraint and stop the provocative actions in order not to become a threat to the lives of other people." The Armenian President has emphasized that the hostages are to be freed and "members of the armed group are to lay down their arms."

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