Dozens arrested in anti-government protests in Armenia

YEREVAN — At least 171 demonstrators demanding the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian were detained on Monday as they blocked streets in Yerevan. The protests followed calls from Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian, the leader of the ongoing anti-government movement.

By late afternoon, 156 of those detained had been released from police custody, according to Armenia’s Interior Ministry.

Galstanian had urged his supporters to “paralyze” the Armenian capital and other parts of the country during a massive rally held in Yerevan’s central Republic Square on Sunday. Responding to his appeal, hundreds of demonstrators disrupted traffic in the city center the following morning.

Riot police intervened to clear the streets, arresting many in the process. The authorities have faced accusations of using excessive force, including detaining protesters who were not actively blocking roads. “We were just walking on the sidewalk, and they took away all of our boys, using brute force,” one young woman told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.

Similar protests were reported on major highways outside Yerevan, where opposition supporters used motorcades to slow traffic significantly.

The road closures and meetings aimed to increase pressure on Armenian lawmakers. Galstanian is pushing for a vote of no confidence to oust Pashinian following his governments siging of a land transfer to Azerbaijan.

The two opposition alliances in parliament have pledged to support this vote but lack the necessary numbers to force a debate.