In an interview with Hetq, Founding Parliament secretariat member Alek Yenikomshian (photo) says that Jirayr Sefilian is ready to enter into negotiations with law enforcement officials and even President Sargsyan to guarantee that the standoff at the Yerevan police patrol office ends without further bloodshed.

Yenikomshian told Hetq that he spoke to Sefilian and members of the Sasna Dzrer armed group. Yenikomshian did not wish to talk about the nature of ongoing negotiations with government officials on the matter.

He went on to say that at least for Sefilian, meeting the demands put forth by the Sasna Dzrer group are not a prerequisite for negotiating a peaceful end to the armed stand-off.  

Yesterday, one of the Sasna Dzrer members said the group was demanding the resignation of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, labelling him a usurper.

The group also demanded the release of Sefilian, arrested on June 20, and other “political prisoners as a condition for entering into negotiations.

Yenikomshian said he hoped the two sides could reach a positive resolution of the armed stand-off.

As a gesture of goodwill, Yenikomshian said that after visiting Sasna Dzrer members at the police building they released a police employee.