YEREVAN. – Police of Armenia have made a decision, in the manner prescribed by law, to put an end to the rally in capital city Yerevan, and launched by “My Step” initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party member and National Assembly (NA) “Way Out” (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan.

According to the respective police statement, Pashinyan was informed about this decision, but he disregarded its requirements, and again urged to continue the rally.

As per the statement, in such a situation, the law authorizes the police to disperse this rally by way of the special means specified by the law.

“Police are ready to carry out their [respective] duty, which can be carried out at any necessary moment,” the statement reads, in particular. “[But] considering the consequences of such actions, journalists at the place of the rally are urged to keep a reasonable distance from the participants of the rally.” 

As reported earlier, the Deputy Police Chief of Yerevan, Valeri Osipyan, on Tuesday morning handed to Nikol Pashinyan the police notification on putting an and to the ongoing rally.

Pashinyan, however, publicly ripped this notification.

Armenia Police had issued a statement noting that they will disperse this rally by using force and special means.

On March 31, the Civil Contract Party, led by Nikol Pashinyan, had started a protest march through several towns of Armenia—and whose objective is to prevent the third term in office by ex-President Serzh Sargsyan; but this time as the next likely Prime Minister—and which concluded on April 13, with a rally at Liberty Square in downtown Yerevan, and then with a round-the-clock sit-in at France Square.

Also, the protesters had announced that they plan to block the NA building as well as the houses of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) MPs on Tuesday, so as not to enable them to take part in the next PM’s election at the special parliamentary session on that day, and during which the RPA will nominate Sargsyan as candidate for the next PM.