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YEREVAN. – Minutes ago, the participants in the sit-in at Baghramyan Avenue, in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan—and against the recent decision to raise the price of electricity in the country—, informed the police on duty that there were three persons drinking alcohol at the avenue and, in all likelihood, that is why they had come there. 

The officers of the law detained these three persons. 

The activists said they had seen these persons early in the morning, that they were drinking beer, and they had asked them to leave the area and that they were disrupting the assembly and also breaking the law.

“[But] we were unable to convince these youth for about two hours. They were constantly trying to provoke a fight, [but] they failed, since we don’t give in to provocations,” said activist Vahagn Minasyan. “[So,] we had to ask the police, and the police responded quickly.”

On the evening of June 23, numerous people had commenced a sit-in at Baghramyan Avenue, closed it off, and demanded the revoking of the decision to raise the price of electricity in the country. But on June 28—and following President Serzh Sargsyan’s statement—some of them went to Liberty Square, whereas the majority stayed at Baghramyan Avenue.

Despite numerous protests, the Public Services Regulatory Commission recently increased the price of electricity in Armenia by 6.93 drams—instead of 17 drams, proposed by the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) Company—, per cubic meter, and this decision will take effect on August 1. But the decision is expected to be followed by an increase in the prices of numerous products and services in the country.

President Sargsyan, however, stated that the government will cover this price hike until an audit is conducted at the ENA, which supplies electricity to the country’s residents. Sargsyan also said he does not rule out returning the company to the Armenian government and transferring it to competitive management, if the audit shows that the aforesaid increase in electricity prices is unjustified.

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