Interfax, Russia
Feb 19 2010

Clash between opposition and police breaks out in Yerevan

YEREVAN Feb 19

A clash erupted between representatives of the youth wing of the
opposition Armenian National Congress and police during a procession
marking the second anniversary of the presidential elections in the
center of Yerevan on Friday.

The demonstrators blocked the road and refused to obey policemen’s
orders to move onto the pavement and tried to break through a police
cordon.

They were pushed onto the pavement by police and the area of the rally
was cordoned off.

Following the February 19, 2008 presidential elections, Armenia’s
opposition led by ex-President Levon Ter-Petrossian refused to
recognize the results of the polls and staged large-scale protests. A
clash between opposition members and police broke out on March 1, as a
result of which ten people were killed and more than 250 were injured.

The Armenian National Congress accused the country’s Former President
Robert Kocharyan of involvement in the March 1 events.

The congress’ chairman and former Armenian special service chief David
Shakhnazaryan said on Thursday that the accusations against Kocharyan
would be forwarded to the Hague-based International Court of Justice
within the next three weeks.