Dozens arrested as Armenia opposition protests up pressure on PM

Anti-government protests spread throughout the Armenian capital Tuesday as opposition parties mounted pressure on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan over his “treacherous” handling of a territorial dispute with arch-foe Azerbaijan.

Protests erupted in Yerevan on Sunday with the opposition demanding Pashinyan’s resignation accusing him of plotting to cede to Baku all of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Demonstrations continued Monday and chaotic scenes occurred Tuesday in central Yerevan where police detained dozens of people as groups of protesters blocked traffic on all main streets.

These are the worst protests since the elections last September, highlighting continued bitterness over Pashinyan’s leadership during a war in 2020.