2016 Yerevan Hostage Crisis
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2016 Yerevan Hostage Crisis
On 17 July 2016, a group of armed men calling themselves the ''Daredevils of Sasun'' (; the name is taken from an epic poem) stormed a police station in Yerevan, Armenia and took nine hostages. They demanded the release of opposition leader Jirair Sefilian and the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan. The group began a standoff with government forces, with growing crowds of protesters joining the calls for the resignation of the president. Two policemen were killed during the standoff and dozens were wounded; one policeman died of his wounds after the end of the crisis. Several of the attackers were wounded as well. In a 2017 survey the 38% of respondents supported Sasna Tsrer's actions, while 16% condemned. Background A controversial election occurred in 2013 which led to a loss of popularity for the governing Republican Party of Armenia. The Lebanese-born ethnic Armenian Jirair Sefilian led opposing forces under the formation New Armenia Public Salvation Front. Sefilian wa ...
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Erebuni District
Erebuni ( hy, Էրեբունի վարչական շրջան, ''Erebuni varčakan šrĵan''), is one of the 12 districts of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It is situated southeast of the city centre where Erebuni Fortress is located. The name of Yerevan itself is derived from ancient ''Erebuni''. Erebuni is bordered by Shengavit District from the west, Kentron, Nork-Marash and Nor Nork districts from the north, Kotayk Province from the east, Nubarashen district and Kotayk Province from the south. Overview Erebuni has an area of 48 km² (21.52% of Yerevan city area), out of which 29 km² are occupied by residential or commercial buildings. Erebuni is the largest district of Yerevan in terms of area. The district is unofficially divided into smaller neighborhoods such as Erebuni neighbourhood, Nor Aresh, Saritagh, Vardashen, Mushavan, Verin Jrashen and Nor Butania. Sasuntsi Davit Square along with the metro station form the core of the district. The main streets o ...
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Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh () or the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (),, is a list of states with limited recognition, breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Artsakh controls a part of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, including the capital of Stepanakert. It is an Enclave and exclave, enclave within Azerbaijan. Its only overland access route to Armenia is via the wide Lachin corridor which is under the control of Russian peacekeepers. The predominantly Armenian-populated region of Nagorno-Karabakh was claimed by both the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the First Republic of Armenia when both countries became independent in 1918 after the fall of the Russian Empire, and a brief war over the region broke out in 1920. The dispute was largely shelved after the Soviet Union established control over the area, and created the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) within the Aze ...
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Arthur Sargsyan
Arthur Roberti Sargsyan (), better known as the Bread Bringer was an Armenian handcraft master, First Nagorno-Karabakh War veteran. He is known in Armenia as a man who brought food to the members of ''Sasna Tsrer'' armed group during the 2016 Yerevan hostage crisis. While doing it he rushed through the line of policemen, putting his life at risk. He was arrested after the events and went on hunger strike for 25 days. After that, he died of a heart failure derived from complications during surgery on intestinal rupture while being treated at the ''Armenia'' Medical Center. Deputy director of the medical center stated that he was taken to hospital, but it was too late. He is seen by many as a symbol of resistance to the Armenian ruling regime's heavy-handed response to popular protests. He finished the National Polytechnic University of Armenia. During the Karabakh war he also brought meals to the front line and was wounded. Sargsyan's death escalated protests in Yerevan. Armenian ...
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Self-immolation
The term self-immolation broadly refers to acts of altruistic suicide, otherwise the giving up of one's body in an act of sacrifice. However, it most often refers specifically to autocremation, the act of sacrificing oneself by setting oneself on fire and burning to death. It is typically used for political or religious reasons, often as a form of non-violent protest or in acts of martyrdom. It has a centuries-long recognition as the most extreme form of protest possible by humankind. Etymology The English word '' immolation'' originally meant (1534) "killing a sacrificial victim; sacrifice" and came to figuratively mean (1690) "destruction, especially by fire". Its etymology was from Latin "to sprinkle with sacrificial meal (mola salsa); to sacrifice" in ancient Roman religion. ''Self-immolation'' was first recorded in Lady Morgan's ''France'' (1817). Effects Self-immolators frequently use accelerants before igniting themselves. This, combined with the self-immolators' refusal ...
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Nikol Pashinyan
Nikol Vovayi Pashinyan ( hy, Նիկոլ Վովայի Փաշինյան, ; born 1 June 1975) is an Armenian politician serving as the prime minister of Armenia since 8 May 2018. A journalist by profession, Pashinyan founded his own newspaper in 1998, which was shut down a year later for libel. He was sentenced for one year for defamation against then Minister of National Security Serzh Sargsyan. He edited the newspaper ''Haykakan Zhamanak'' ("Armenian Times") from 1999 to 2012. A supporter of Armenia's first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan, he was highly critical of second president Robert Kocharyan, Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan, and their allies, frequently referring to them as the "Karabakh Clan". Pashinyan was also critical of Armenia's close relations with Russia, and promoted establishing closer relations with Turkey instead. He led a minor opposition party in the 2007 parliamentary election, garnering 1.3% of the vote. Pashinyan was a dedicated supporter of Ter-Petrosyan, ...
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Andrias Ghukasyan
Andrias Marati Ghukasyan ( hy, Անդրիաս Մարատի Ղուկասյան) is an Armenian political analyst. Ghukasyan was one of seven candidates in the 2013 presidential election. Early life In 1987, he finished secondary school at N83. In the same year he entered the Yerevan State University Department of Economics. From 1988 to 1989, he served in the Soviet Army. In 1994, he graduated from Yerevan State University having an "Economic Cybernetics" specialty and received a degree in economics-mathematics. In 2005, he graduated from the St. Petersburg International Economic Relations, Economics and Law Institute, earning his bachelor's degree in Jurisprudence. Politics Hunger strike On January 21, 2013, Ghukasyan started a hunger strike in front of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences building in Yerevan. He had a large poster, written in Armenian and English demanding to "Stop fake elections". Finishing his protest after the results were announced, Ghukasyan, tog ...
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Armen Martirosyan (Heritage)
Armen Martirosyan ( hy, Արմեն Մարտիրոսյան; born 30 September 1973) is an Armenian politician from the Heritage party. Early life Armen Martirosyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia SSR, Soviet Union on 30 September 1973. In 1994, he graduated from the Combat Sports faculty of the Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture. He is a judo coach, physical training teacher, pedagogical sciences candidate and senior professor. Martirosyan then served in the Armed Forces of Armenia in 1994 and 1995. Afterwards, he returned to the State Institute of Physical Culture as a professor. He became a senior professor in 2001 and, from 2002 to 2004, worked as head of the division of Foreign Relations. Martirosyan is an author of 20 scientific articles and a school textbook. Political career Martirosyan is the vice-chairman of the Heritage party headed by Raffi Hovannisian. On 12 May 2007, he was elected as a Deputy of the National Assembly by proportional electoral system from the H ...
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Alexander Yenikomshian
Ara-Alexander "Alec" Yenikomshian ( hy, Ալեք Ենիգոմշեան) (also known as Alec or Alex Yenikomechian) is an Armenian political activist and journalist, a member of Founding Parliament secretariat, co-founder of the " Miatsum Initiative", Director of the "Monte Melkonyan" public organization, and former member of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA). Biography Ara-Alexander Yenikomshian was born in 1955 in Beirut. In 1978 he finished the Faculty of Economy of the American University of Beirut. He is best known for his participation in a Geneva hotel bombing on October 3, 1980, when a bomb that he was preparing together with Suzy Mahseredjian went off prematurely, leaving him blind and severing his left hand. Being the first disclosed members of ASALA, Yenikomshian and US citizen Mahseredjian were arrested. Authorities charged that the two had been waiting to be told where to plant the bomb when it exploded.Partisan of Armenian Terrorist Group ...
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Republic Square, Yerevan
Republic Square ( hy, Հանրապետության հրապարակ, ''Hanrapetut′yan hraparak'', known locally as ''Hraparak'', "the square") is the central town square in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. It consists of two sections: an oval roundabout and a trapezoid-shaped section which contains a pool with musical fountains. The square is surrounded by five major buildings built in pink and yellow tuff in the neoclassical style with extensive use of Armenian motifs. This architectural ensemble includes the Government House, the History Museum and the National Gallery, Armenia Marriott Hotel and two buildings that formerly housed the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Transport and Communications. The square was originally designed by Alexander Tamanian in 1924. The construction of most of the buildings was completed by the 1950s; the last building—the National Gallery—was completed in 1977. During the Soviet period it was called Lenin Square and a statue of Vladimir Leni ...
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BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online news coverage. The service maintains 50 foreign news bureaus with more than 250 correspondents around the world. Deborah Turness has been the CEO of news and current affairs since September 2022. In 2019, it was reported in an Ofcom report that the BBC spent £136m on news during the period April 2018 to March 2019. BBC News' domestic, global and online news divisions are housed within the largest live newsroom in Europe, in Broadcasting House in central London. Parliamentary coverage is produced and broadcast from studios in London. Through BBC English Regions, the BBC also has regional centres across England and national news c ...
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Colonialism
Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their religion, language, economics, and other cultural practices. The foreign administrators rule the territory in pursuit of their interests, seeking to benefit from the colonised region's people and resources. It is associated with but distinct from imperialism. Though colonialism has existed since ancient times, the concept is most strongly associated with the European colonial period starting with the 15th century when some European states established colonising empires. At first, European colonising countries followed policies of mercantilism, aiming to strengthen the home-country economy, so agreements usually restricted the colony to trading only with the metropole (mother country). By the mid-19th century, the British Empire gave up me ...
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Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eighth of Earth's inhabitable landmass. Russia extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones and shares Borders of Russia, land boundaries with fourteen countries, more than List of countries and territories by land borders, any other country but China. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, world's ninth-most populous country and List of European countries by population, Europe's most populous country, with a population of 146 million people. The country's capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city is Moscow, the List of European cities by population within city limits, largest city entirely within E ...
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