YEREVAN. - Six members of the “Stand up, Armenia” initiative have been set free. The only detainee remaining at the police department is an elderly man named Hakob, who was scolded and slapped by a police officer. 

According to Armenian News - NEWS.am correspondent, the situation in the Republic Square continues to remain tense; clashes between the policemen and activists are also continuing.  The initiative members are trying to block Vazgen Sargsyan Street, which is adjacent to the Republic Square. The police are forcefully removing them. The protestors are outraged by the fact that the elderly man is still at the police department.

Yerevan Deputy Chief of Police Valery Osipyan - who is also in the Republic Square -  is talking to the protestors.

Initiative member Davit Sanasaryan, who returned to the Republic Square after being released, said they will not go home unless they achieve their aim.

According to him, the police today carried out illegal actions and hindered their rally.

“We condemn those policemen, who made an illegal order to detain us,” he said.

Several members of the “Stand up, Armenia” initiative were detained from the Republic Square for disobeying the legitimate orders of the police.

The detainees were set free after several hours.

The initiative members have been staging a sit-in in Yerevan's Republic Square since July 27. They are demanding to revoke the decision on the electricity price hike in Armenia, as well as the resignation of Armenia's Public Services Regulatory Commission (PSRC) members and nationalization of the Electric Networks of Armenia.

Photos by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am