Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 24.02.2021:

  • Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made a statement that arouses disputes in both Armenian and Russian media and political circles.

He comments on the statement of third President Serzh Sargsyan, as the latter was surprised why the Russia-made Iskander ballistic missile in Armenia’s arsenal was not fired on the third or fourth day of the recent war.

Thus, Pashinyan noted that Iskander missiles "did not explode" or "exploded by 10%."

According to Russian and Armenian experts, Pashinyan questioned the efficiency of Russia-made weapons.

In turn, Russian State Duma MP Dmitry Sablin told RIA Novosti that Nikol Pashinyan's statement about the allegedly unexploded missiles attests to his lack of knowledge.

Meanwhile, popular Russian military journalist Yuri Kotenok, who also was reporting during the Noagno-Karabakh war, noted that this Pashinyan's statement is dictated by his US partners since the United States has also been seeking to discredit Russian weapons and push them away off the international weapons' market.

A group of young people held a protest near Yerevan State University (YSU) on Wednesday.

They marched to the university building and entered it chanting, "Nikol, the traitor" and "Armenia without Nikol". They urge the students and faculty to join their fight. The protesters also entered the Armenian State University of Economics (ASUE).

By the way, during the 2018 velvet revolution led by Pashinyan - and which resulted in the resignation of ex-president Serzh Sargsyan and Pashinyan's reign in power - the protesters also entered the university as well as public radio buildings.

Nowadays, people are protesting in Yerevan - but now for the current government's resignation - even amid the violence that police are using towards the protesters. On Tuesday, police forcibly apprehended 57 citizens standing near the government's building doing no provocations. Some opposition representatives have been injured. Snipers have been spotted on the rooftop of the building.

  • Twitter has blocked 373 accounts associated with Russia, Armenia, and Iran for violating platform manipulation policies, Reuters reported.

The company said it has blocked 35 accounts linked to Armenia as they were reportedly created with the aim of targeting Azerbaijan. The company has also blocked 238 accounts linked to Iran due to various violations of its policies and 100 accounts linked to Russia - for reinforcing narratives that undermine faith in NATO and target the US and the EU.

  • The notorious trial of the criminal case on the armed group ended in Yerevan on Wednesday after lasting for nearly 3.5 years.

In protest of the then authorities, the armed group who called themselves Sasna Tsrer took over a police patrol regiment building in Yerevan in 2016 and held hostages, but later surrendered in July. Three police officers, however, were killed during the two-week standoff.

Criminal charges were brought against 32 people in connection with this incident and related developments.

Thus, verdicts in the criminal case on ten members of the armed group were announced Wednesday in Yerevan.

Accordingly, defendant Armen Bilyan was acquitted of the murder of a police officer. However, he was found guilty of several other acts and sentenced to four years and eleven months in prison.

Other defendants Pavlik Manukyan, Varuzhan Avetisyan, and Smbat Barseghyan were sentenced to 10, 9.6, and 25 years in prison, respectively.

  • Georgia has facilitated Russian, Armenian, and Ukrainian citizens’ entry into the country, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said.

"Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus have been added to the list of countries whose citizens will be able to enter Georgia as of March 1—with a PCR test," Garibashvili noted.

Until now, tourists could enter Georgia only if they have a certificate of full vaccination.

  • 273 COVID-19 new cases were reported in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 170,945 in the country.

Also, four more deaths from COVID-19 were reported, making the respective total 3,175 cases.

The number of people who have recovered is 162,517, and the number of people currently being treated is 4,445.