YEREVAN. – Minister of Economy of Armenia Artsvik Minasyan urged the armed group, which has taken over a capital city Yerevan police station and is holding hostages, to surrender forthwith because this will enable to carry out the further processes within the framework of the Constitution and the law.

Minasyan told about the abovementioned to reporters, after Thursday’s Cabinet session.

“Easing of the situation requires that tolerance rules, common sense prevails, and the persons who organized the armed attack realize that the law, the constitutional norm shall function in Armenia,” said the minister.

As for the police actions, Minasyan noted: “I even laud the level of tolerance that was displayed. (…) the process is in the domain of the law enforcement system.”

A group of armed men stormed into a Yerevan police patrol regiment, on early morning on July 17, and took several police officers hostage. Deputy regiment commander Artur Vanoyan was killed, and four other officers of the law plus one of the attackers were wounded during the ensuing gunfire exchange. 

Negotiations are still underway to release all hostages and end the armed resistance. Four people are still held hostage.

The gunmen demand the release of Jirair Sefilian, an imprisoned radical opposition activist.