YEREVAN. - Coordinator of extra-parliamentary oppositional Armenian National Congress (ANC) Levon Zurabyan refused to predict the outcome of political negotiations with the authorities, which has been recently suspended on the initiative of the opposition, Chorrord Inknishkhanutyun newspaper reports.

He urged to be ready for mass protests, as people should to show their full strength. “The authorities’ attitude proves they are ready to make concessions only in one case, when people demonstrate their strength,” Zurabyan noted.

Nevertheless, the ANC does not consider all the bridges burned and for this reason, the dialogue has been suspended. He recalled the opposition was ready to resume talks in case ANC activist Tigran Arakelyan is released, “seizing the opportunity to conduct effective negotiations in September.”

As reported earlier, the oppositional Armenian National Congress (ANC) suspended its participation in the government-opposition dialogue last Friday, saying it will return to the negotiating table only if the ANC activist Tigran Arakelyan is released.

A total of 7 ANC activists were detained on August 9, around 10:00 p.m. from Northern Avenue of Yerevan downtown. The court upheld the detention of the third activist Tigran Arakelyan who is accused of using violence against law enforcer.