Armenian Police Move Into Kirants Village, Detain Protesters Using Brute Force, and Block Village Access from Residents and Journalists
Updated: May 3
In the early hours of Thursday, Armenian police detained dozens of individuals in Kirants, a border village in the northern Tavush province, as tensions escalate over the government's decision to surrender territory to Azerbaijan.
Kirants has become a focal point for protests against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's announcement of territorial concessions on April 19. Residents, supported by people from across the country, have been camped out both within and outside the village, obstructing officials from facilitating the handover process.
Eyewitnesses and protest leaders reported that security forces dismantled the protest camp during the early morning hours. Additionally, they sealed off the main highway linking Kirants to the Tavush capital, Ijevan, preventing journalists from reaching the area.
The Armenian Interior Ministry defended the police action, stating that they were facilitating the clearance of landmines and conducting geodetic measurements along the new section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. However, opposition MP Garnik Danielyan claimed that at least two dozen individuals were arrested, with many sustaining injuries during the crackdown.
Although the Interior Ministry later confirmed the release of those detained, they remained unable to return to Kirants, which remains under police blockade.
The Tavush for the Homeland movement, leading the protests, urged citizens to continue peaceful disobedience actions across Armenia in response to what they termed "brutal and illegal" police actions.
The police intervention followed a televised interview with Prime Minister Pashinyan, where he reiterated his defense of the territorial concessions, asserting that they aimed to prevent Azerbaijan from using the pretext of territorial disputes to justify military invasion into Armenia.
Opposition leaders, however, argue that Pashinyan's concessions only embolden Azerbaijan to demand further territory from Armenia, potentially leading to military aggression. Many residents in affected Tavush villages express concerns that the territorial handover will leave their communities vulnerable to Azerbaijani attacks.
The Armenian Report's Ani Khachatryan remains among the reporters at the scene, attempting to gain access to Kirants village. However, police blockades continue to hinder her efforts, while Ani Gevorgyan remains inside Kirants, which remains under Armenian police blockade.
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