Armenian Prosecutor Details 1 March Deaths

E-Channel carries details of the official explanation for the cause of the eight deaths on 1 March. Seven civilians and one policeman died during the clashes between security forces and radical opposition supporters. However, this is the first detailed breakdown of the causes of death although rumors have been circulating that at least one victim, and possibly two, was hit by a bullet shot into the air while standing on a balcony, and that grenades were thrown by some opposition supporters.

Previous reports had simply detailed the number of dead although they did state that 16 servicemen and 18 civilians received bullet wounds. The obligatory rumors circulating in Yerevan, however, claim that the death toll among the opposition is higher and that members of the military also died. It is alleged that one serviceman died from a wound inflicted by a broken bottle thrust into his chest, for example. However, no names have been released to back up any of the claims.

RA general prosecutor Aghvan Hovsepyan has received the delegation headed by Peter Semnebi, the special representative of the European Union in South Caucasus.

As informed by the general prosecutor’s office web site, Aghvan Hovsepyan has told during the conversation that “8 people have died as a result of the disorders, 1 of them - a policeman – from an explosion of a grenade; 3 have died as a result of the special means applied (according to the initial conclusion of the experts); 4 have died of injuries caused by gunshot wounds. The bullets taken out of the bodies have various calibers, which allows to say that various types of arms have been used during disorders, and the preliminary investigation faces the task of revealing all those circumstances. 265 people have been injured, 210 of them being police officers. 68 cars have been set on fire, 10 objects of private property have been destroyed and robbed, including a pharmacy.”