The BBC reports on a skirmish in the indigenous Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, a de jureregion of Azerbaijan, that has left at least two Azeri soldiers dead after the latter, according to the Armenian side as reported by the Associated Press, captured an Armenian post and were soon kicked out.

Unfortunately, there is only one side of the story for the BBC which reports that “Azeri authorities told the BBC Armenia had provoked the clashes to divert attention from its domestic problems. ”

Whatever the case, there is no independent Azeri sources to read about the news – one of them, www.realazer.net being terminated and its editor sentenced to over ten years in jail, and most Armenian news websites still limited to providing official government information due to the temporary state of emergency.

Nonetheless, Day.az from Azerbaijan reports in Russian in its latest updateon the fight that Azeri authorities state they have “eliminated” 12 Armenian soldiers while only three Azeri soldiers became “martyrs.” The website of Armenia’s Foreign Ministry quotes Cabinet Minister Vartan Oskanyan as saying, “There are casualties. As of this moment, there is one injured from the Armenian side, and as the Azerbaijani press reported, two deaths from their side, and injuries too. These we can obviously not confirm.” Some Azeri users of a Day.az’s Russian-language Forum have suggested that Armenians may in fact have more casualties. Oskanyan, they suggest, may not release the information given the recent violent protests in the country.

A column by Lisa Karpova in the Russian Pravda newspaper writes about the post-election protests in Armenia accusing “the empire” – an apparent reference to the United States – for the unrest in the tiny Republic and for supporting former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan:

Perhaps the empire just doesn’t get it. They need to re-examine their despicable, foolish and devious scheme to bring an orange scenario to an embattled, besieged Armenia. Under blockade by neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan, Armenia continues to prosper despite some instances of corruption and economic isolation. Armenia is not fertile ground for any sort of orange scenario. Armenians are generally politically astute, pro-Russian and not easily swayed. They are also acutely aware of the fact that there is no future for them as vassals of the empire.

Armenian history is said to be 12,000 years old, and Mt. Ararat is the historic scene where Noah‘s Ark is said to have rested, a revered and treasured Armenian landmark. An archeologist’s dream come true, Armenia is a land of quaint churches and elaborately and meticulously carved khatchkars (Orthodox crosses).

Constant and reliable, the centuries old friendship and alliance with Russia is unshakable. Most Armenians are aware of the fact that there probably would be no Armenia if not for Russia. No plots or schemes by the empire are going to change that reality.

The empire also wins no friends among Armenians for its consistent policy of [Armenian] Genocide denial. These policies go beyond the geo-political considerations given as an excuse, such as the US base in occupied Western Armenia, under control of Turkey and their alliances with Armenian enemies Turkey, Israel and Azerbaijan. And then there are the oil pipelines…constructed to bypass Armenia, a country in a strategic position between east and west, a crossroads as it were.

As a result of the Armenian Genocide of 1894-1923, Armenians lost most of their homeland and over 1.5 million Armenians were murdered in the most horrendous and brutal fashion imaginable and unimaginable. To this day, no Nuremberg trials, no compensation or apology have occurred. Therefore, the memory of this tragedy in an ongoing issue of importance to Armenians.

In Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosian is generally despised for his corrupt ruinous policies while President of Armenia. He is also despised for proffering the notion that the recently liberated Armenian land of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) should be returned to Azerbaijan. Artsakh is now an independent country. The US regime is financially backing Ter-Petrosian and causing trouble in the background. Ter-Petrosian had the strange idea that he had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning an election to be President. Fat chance. Now he sends agitators to do his bidding, a la Soros funding, all the best agitators money and the empire can buy.

[…] 

On March 1, 2008, Armenia’s President Robert Kocharian declared a 2-day state of emergency [not 2 but 20-day – Blogian] in compliance of article 55.6 of the RA (Republic of Armenia) Constitution (threat to state and population security). Fortunately, anti-terrorist, anti-orange scenario joint exercises were held by Armenia and Russia in anticipation of such occurrences. Meanwhile the empire is mouthing duplicitous, hypocritical words about “excessive use of force.”

[…]

Kocharian, throughout his term as President, has had a warm, brotherly relationship with his counterpart in Russia, Vladimir Putin. Like the outgoing president, Robert Kocharian, Mr. Sarkisyan is from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Both men were commanders in the war.

Many people I have talked to believe the number of those killed in the post-election protests in Armenia is much higher than the reported nine.

And while police have released the names of only four who were killed, the list doesn’t include women. This is not in line with the widely-circulated rumor, and the photograph below, that a woman was run over by a police car.

Image: A woman, run over by the police, is said to have died while the incomplete list of the killed, released by the police, has only males. Photo from Fotolure via AlPlus’ Blog.

In the meantime, an announcement on the official website of Armenia’s police– summarizing a video appearance – claims that the first shots were fired by some of the protesters. Chief Gegham Petrosyan’s announcement in Armenian states in part:

[…]

As soldiers of the Armenian army approached the barricades, stones and sharp metals were thrown on them – gun was fired [on the soldiers].As a servant of the Armenian army it was impossible for me to imagine that an Armenian would shoot on an Armenian soldier…

We ended up with a pretty large number of wounded and stepped back. It was only at this time that it was ordered to arm the personnel with numbered weaponry.

[…] 

Interestingly, “the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) lays the blame for Saturday’s violence on the streets of Yerevan with both the authorities and supporters of the former president, Levon Ter-Petrossian.”  Neither the authorities nor the opposition agree with the statement – both blaming the other for unrest and illegal behavior.

And according to another rumor, Armenia’s spiritual leader – the Catholicos – has attempted to visit the former president to ask for reconciliation with the authorities. The Catholicos was, reportedly, turned away at Levon Ter-Petrosyan’s door.

Image: Soldiers shave in front an armored vehicle’s mirror in central Yerevan on March 3, 2008 as they patrol Armenia’s capital amid declared state of emergency after post-election protests left nine people dead. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

Posted at the website of the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office:

RECENT VIOLENCE IN ARMENIA (03/03/08)

Commenting on events in Armenia on 1 March, an FCO Spokesperson said:

‘We are very concerned about the events which occured in Yerevan on 1 March, and deplore the use of force which resulted in at least eight fatalities and many more injuries. We call on the authorities and the opposition to engage in political dialogue and to use only peaceful means to restore stability. We call on all sides to respect the rule of law and human rights and we urge the lifting of the State of Emergency as soon as possible.’

Image: A protester on a street of Yerevan on Saturday night. After the government announced a state of emergency on Saturday, Mr. Ter-Petrossian called losing the street “losing the connection to the people.” By Johan Spanner for The New York Times

Avoiding to report directly about Armenia’s post-election political developments and clashes that left nine people dead – as the state emergency bans media from publishing information outside government releases – a blogger from Armenia informs of the illegal blockade of several websites in Armenia. He then offers tips on how to access banned information in Armenia:

In the evening of March 2, the Internet Society of Armenia (ISOC) has ILLEGALLY stopped the maintenance of several domains, including A1+ – www.a1plus.am, Haykakan Zhamanak – www.azatutyun.am, E-channel – www.echannel.am. In the database of ISOC- https://www.amnic.net/whois/ , they are registered as “on hold.”

With that step, A1+ has been deprived not only of his site but also if its mail service.

The domains have been “frozen” without the decision of the ISOC board – either by the instruction on behalf of the presidential office, or the National Security Service.

In the decree of president Kocharyan, there was nothing about freezing the domains, closing web sites and the media.

We would like to provide some help to those, who still want to access the above mentioned websites. Firstly, Echannel.am and Azatutyun.am have their backup DNS records. You can access Echannel.am also at E-channel.am (e-channel with a -) and Azatutyun.am at armenialiberty.am. At the moment we are negotiating with the ISOC board to urge them to stop this illegal blocking of our domain names. However, there is a possibility, that the backup domain names (E-channel.am and armenialiberty.am) will also be blocked. For that case, I will be posting a list of IP names for the servers, where these and other blocked information websites are located, and you can access them by clicking the links in the list below (I’ll update the list as soon as colleagues let me know the relevant IP addresses):

1. a1lus.am – 75.125.179.218:8080
2. echannel.am – 76.163.218.144
3. azatutyun.am – 193.111.134.85
   • For Audio broadcasts of Radio Liberty in Armenian also check out this link: http://www.rferl.org/listen/ondemand/bd/ar/ar-default.asp

Let me remind everybody, that A1plus YouTube channel and Asplus blog are still functional. There is also an Armenian Newspaper Electronic Archive, where you can find Archived publications from some of the blocked newspaper websites.

[…]

The New York Times writes about the aftermath of violent clashes in Armenia’s post-election protests noting that because of the state of emergency, which bans local media from interviewing opposition parties, only foreign media were present at a press conference by opposition leader and former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

Tanks blocked central streets in the capital of this tiny mountain country on Sunday, a day after Armenian authorities clashed with demonstrators in a violent confrontation that left at least eight people dead and more than 130 wounded.

The government imposed a state of emergency, and for the first time since a contested Feb. 19 presidential election, the streets and central squares of this ancient city were empty of the crowds of protesters.

Any attempt at demonstrating “will immediately result in adequate and strict reaction by the armed forces,” Gen. Seyran Ohanyan, Armenia’s top military commander, said in a statement.

Levon Ter-Petrossian, the opposition leader who has led the crowds, and whose failed candidacy was the reason for the protests, said that he would not encourage his supporters to defy the curfew, and that the government had won by closing down his only outlet to the public.

“They’re happy with themselves,” said Mr. Ter-Petrossian, speaking to reporters in his 1930s mansion on the edge of Yerevan. “They got what they wanted.”

[…]

Mr. Ter-Petrossian blamed the Armenian government for what he described as a “slaughter.” Seven civilians were killed and only one security officer, according to the Foreign Ministry. Of the 131 injuries, 72 were police officers and 59 were civilians, Agence France-Presse reported, citing the Health Ministry.

The casualties prompted statements of concern by the State Department, the European Union and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

[…]

Mr. Ter-Petrossian accused the government of sneaking provocateurs into the crowd. “It’s their people,” he said. But he acknowledged that some of his supporters might have joined in. Looters who dragged cognac, cakes, fruit and even food scales from the Yerevan City grocery store on Saturday seemed to strongly support him.

“I’m fighting for honesty,” said a man in his 50s, holding a stolen beer in one hand and a lemon in the other. “Levon Ter-Petrossian is for the people.”

Fifteen people were arrested.

The emergency decree dealt a particularly paralyzing blow to the opposition because local television stations, controlled by Prime Minister Serge Sargsyan and President Robert Kocharian, virtually ignored the daily rallies, which often drew tens of thousands of protesters. “Losing the square means losing the connection to the people,” Mr. Ter-Petrossian said. “Now they have taken this away from us.”

According to the emergency decree, local news media are barred from disseminating information given by any source other than the government.

CNN segments about Armenia were clipped from television programming, and many Web sites were closed. Only journalists from foreign news organizations could attend Mr. Ter-Petrossian’s briefing.

Mr. Ter-Petrossian’s state-financed security detail had orders not to allow him out of his house, but Armenia’s foreign minister said he was free to leave if he agreed to forgo the security.

Armenian authorities have used violence against political opposition several times over the past 13 years. In 1995, for example, during Mr. Ter-Petrossian’s tenure as president, at least one opposition figure died in police custody after his political party was shut down, according to Human Rights Watch.

[…]

Human Rights Watch, in a press release posted at its website, has criticized Armenia’s government for police brutality against post-election protesters:

Armenian police on March 1 used excessive force and violence to disperse demonstrators protesting peacefully against recent election results, Human Rights Watch said today. Following the crackdown on demonstrators, President Robert Kocharian decreed a state of emergency in Yerevan, the capital, until March 20, 2008. There was a heavy police presence overnight in central Yerevan. According to Arminfo news agency, the police have surrounded and sealed off the opposition news agency A1+, preventing its employees from entering or leaving the building.  
 
“The Armenian government should refrain from using violence and make clear that it won’t tolerate excessive use of force by police,” said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “A political crisis doesn’t give the government carte blanche in how it responds to demonstrators.”  
 
Several witnesses told Human Rights Watch that at 6.30 a.m. on March 1, Armenian special police forces violently dispersed a rally protesting against alleged electoral fraud that had entered its 11th day on Yerevan’s Freedom Square, beating demonstrators with truncheons and iron bars. Some were fleeing when police attacked them. Dozens are reported to have sustained severe injuries and more than 100 protestors were arrested. Armenia’s first president Levon Ter-Petrosian, who was the main opposition challenger in last month’s presidential poll, remains under effective house arrest as police cordoned off his home. Also on March 1, at least six opposition leaders were detained for organizing illegal demonstrations.  
 
Kocharian’s press office reported that under the state of emergency public gatherings and strikes will be banned and freedom of movement as well as non-government public broadcasts will be severely curtailed. Internet and satellite reception has been cut in Yerevan.  (not sure if this is true – Blogian)
 
Later in the morning, protesters gathered in front of the French Embassy in downtown Yerevan. Their numbers grew substantially during the day, as did the police presence. A demonstrator told Human Rights Watch that police were equipped with rubber truncheons, electric-shock devices, and water cannons. The rally was still continuing in front of the embassy when the state of emergency was announced after police were reported by news organizations to have fired in the air to disperse the demonstrators.  
 
Opposition demonstrations followed the February 19 presidential election, after the Central Election Commission declared Prime Minister, Serzh Sargsian the winner with 53 percent of the vote. According to official tallies, opposition challenger Ter-Petrosian won 21.5 percent of the vote. Tens of thousands of Ter-Petrosian supporters took to the streets in downtown Yerevan on February 20 to protest the declared election results and what they believed to have been electoral fraud. The protests continued peacefully on Freedom Square for the next 10 days, with some demonstrators camping out on the square in tents.  
 
The mayor of Yerevan previously called on the opposition to end the rally on Freedom Square, as the demonstrators had no permit. The Yerevan mayor’s office issued a statement on February 25 saying the protests were unauthorized and urging demonstrators to call a halt to them. Two days later the Armenian police issued a statement urging an end to the demonstrations.  
 
At about 6:30 a.m. on March 1, a few hundred opposition supporters were in their tents when police arrived and started to disperse them. Information about approaching interior troops began to reach demonstrators shortly after 6:00 a.m. A 30-year-old eyewitness, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, told Human Rights Watch that several rows of Special Forces in riot armor, with helmets, plastic shields and rubber truncheons, started approaching from the left and right sides of Freedom Square. The witness said that police, without prior warning, sprayed water and descended on the demonstrators, using rubber truncheons and electric prods.  
 
“People started running towards Northern Avenue, but were chased by the police,” the witness told Human Rights Watch.  
 
The witness was among those who fled, running together with his father and younger brother, but police caught him from behind and beat him on his back and head with a rubber truncheon.  
 
“I momentarily lost consciousness after a blow on the head, and fell,” he told Human Rights Watch. “When I came to my senses, my brother was carrying me away from the square. My head was bleeding and my hat was all covered in blood.”  
 
The witness required seven stitches on the right side of his forehead. He sustained bruises to his right hand, back and legs. Fearing arrest he refrained from going to a hospital and sought medical assistance from a private doctor. His father and brother also sustained cuts and bruises on their backs and heads, but did not require urgent medical assistance.  
 
An Armenian human rights advocate told Human Rights Watch of several similar descriptions of the police action given to her by other witnesses.  
 
The police operation lasted for about 15 to 20 minutes, but as news about it spread, more people started heading towards the square. At least two eyewitnesses described separately to Human Rights Watch how police attacked, beat, and detained groups of 20 to 30 people who attempted to gather near the square.  
 
A member of parliament from the opposition Heritage Party, Zaruhi Postanjian, told Human Rights Watch that she arrived at the Yerevan Central Police Station around 9:00 a.m. to see police cars bringing detainees to the station, transferring them to other vehicles, and taking them to different locations. She stayed there for an hour and counted at least 100 detainees. According to Postanjian, two ambulances were also parked in front of the station and in one of them she saw a young man who appeared unconscious and had blood stains on his face and body. She also described a child she believed to be between 10 and 12 years old, bearing clear marks from beatings. Human Rights Watch could not confirm the nature or cause of their injuries.  
 
According to Avetik Ishkhanian of Armenia’s Helsinki Committee, police arrested several opposition leaders, including Aram Manukian, Alexander Arzumanian, Hrant Bagratian, Vahagn Haiotsian, and Vahagn Khachatrian, charging them with the criminal offence of organizing an unsanctioned public rally. According to the opposition news website Lragir, Aram Manukian and Hrant Bagratian were released later during the day.  
 
Postanjian told Human Rights Watch that in one case a journalist, Gagig Shanshan, was arrested and held in Zeitun district police station in Yerevan, but several hours after his arrest his lawyer still had no access to him.  
 
“Even in a state of emergency, those in detention and facing criminal charges are entitled to due process rights, and should have access to a lawyer,” said Cartner.  
 
Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Armenia is a party, set out the safeguards which should accompany those deprived of their liberty, and access to a lawyer is one of those safeguards.  
 
Government information sources showed police footage of arms stockpiles that allegedly were discovered at Freedom Square after the demonstration was dispersed, including truncheons, guns, grenades, and gas capsules. The report was vehemently denied by the opposition.  
 
“The Armenian government prides itself on having a democratic image,” said Cartner. “Beating peaceful demonstrators is inconsistent with that image and violates its obligations under human rights law.”  

Hetq, quoting official Armenian sources, reports the names (in Armenian) of four (out of at least eight) people who were killed yesterday as presidential election protesters clashed with the police:

Gor Kloyan (Գոռ Քլոյան)

Hamlet Tadevosyan (Համլետ Թադեւոսյան)

Davit Petrosyan (Դավիթ Պետրոսյան)

Zakar Saribek Hovhannisyan ( Զաքար Սարիբեկի  Հովհաննիսյան)