ARMY WAS NOT INVOLVED IN QUELLING OPPOSITION RALLIES IN SPRING 2008 – ARMENIAN MILITARY

Interfax
Feb 19 2009
Russia

Armenia’s armed forces were not involved in restoring order on March
1 2008, spokesman for the Armenian defense minister Col. Seiran
Shakhsuvarian told Interfax.

"Units of the Yerevan garrison were ordered to refrain from the use of
force. They did not use weapons. Nor did they do anything to restore
public order. That was done by Armenian police," Shakhsuvarian said.

A member of the opposition Armenian National Congress, Levon Zurabian,
claimed on Wednesday that "a military coup was accomplished in the
country on March 1 2008."

"Given that armed forces were used against Armenian citizens on March
1, we think a military coup was accomplished on that day," he said.

Zurabian presented a report by the Public Commission for Investigating
the Events of March 1 2008, formed by the opposition, with a video
attached, showing armed people in military uniforms and military
hardware, including armored personnel carriers on March 1.

Units of the Yerevan garrison were involved in guarding special state
facilities, the spokesman said.

After the Armenian presidential elections on February 19 2008, the
Armenian opposition, led by ex-President Levon Ter-Petrosian, said
they did not recognize the outcome of the election and organized mass
protests, which deteriorated into clashes with police on March 1. Ten
people were killed and over 250 were wounded in the unrest.