The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has demanded that Armenian authorities exercise restraint after a night of violent protests left eight people dead.
Louise Arbour said she was ‘deeply troubled’ by the reported deaths and injuries in the capital Yerevan, where the army now has control of the streets after 11 straight days of protests against the result of the presidential election on 19 February.
’The high commissioner was particularly concerned by reports that force had been used against peaceful demonstrators and that opposition protestors had been detained,’ her office said in a statement on her behalf.
’She called upon the authorities to exercise the utmost restraint and to ensure that due process is followed in the case of any detentions,’ it added.
The death toll from yesterday's clashes stood at seven civilians and one police officer. In addition another officer was seriously injured and 17 others suffered gunshot wounds.
In total 131 people have been injured, the government said in a statement, of which 59 were civilians and 72 police officers.
The violence began early yesterday when riot police cleared a central square where protestors had been camped since the presidential election won by Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian.
A state of emergency will be in effect in the capital until 20 March under a decree signed by President Robert Kocharian.
The state of emergency bans public demonstrations and requires the media to publish or broadcast only information from government sources.
