April 16th - The opposition was prevented from staging its rally in Freedom Square in Yerevan by hundreds of policemen and police cars blocking access to the area ahead of official ceremonies dedicated to Police Day due to be held nearby. Thousands of demonstrators then moved to the area of Matenadaran. The Justice Bloc and the National Unity Party issued a joint statement which reads in part:

"Robert Kocharyan, who has burnt all bridges, and his servants are the main obstacle on the path of democratization. The public demand for their dismissal is possible and will be met through peaceful political means."

The next rally was announced for April 21st.

Vagharshak Harutiunyan was released in the evening.

April 15th - Some 1,000 people representing 70 Armenian civic groups attended a demonstration near Matenadaran in Yerevan to protest the recent police brutality and arrests of protesters on April 13 th with the slogans "No to the police state," "Indifference is a crime," "No to special measures," "We are not afraid," "No to state terrorism," and "No to barbed wire." One protestor addressed the rally saying: "We don't want to live in a country where political differences are solved by brute force, where the only arguments are clubs and force. This is our city and we don't want it to become the capital of a backward Asiatic despotism."

The protesters, mostly young people, then marched to the Parliament building, where they hung balloons inscribed with the phrases "Freedom" and "Freedom of speech" on the surrounding fence.

The Office of the Prosecutor General announced that it was bringing charges against former Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutiunyan, in accordance with Article 300 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (misappropriation of state power) and Article 301 (public incitement of violently changing the constitutional order of Armenia), which provide for imprisonment of up to 15 years. The Republic party reopened its headquarters, which had been closed by the police on April 13 th . Policemen had smashed furniture and computers and seized documents.

The three parties aligned in the Armenian ruling coalition renewed on April 15 th their offer to embark on dialogue with the opposition in order to defuse political tensions. A few hours before this offer was made, the leader of the Artarutyun (Justice) Bloc, Stepan Demirchyan, stated that " dialogue is not possible until those persons responsible for the police violence against opposition supporters early on April 13 th , as well as those who falsified and participated in falsifying the presidential elections, are brought to account. The demand for the resignation of the non-elected president remains on our agenda."

April 14th - Renowned Armenian poet Silva Kaputikyan made a statement condemning the April 13 th events and declared that she would return the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots she had been awarded by Kocharyan in 1999. The poet, whose apartment is near the site of the violence on Baghramyan Avenue , believes that Kocharyan no longer has a place in the political life of Armenia.

"In 1999, on the occasion of my 80 th birthday, I received the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots from his hands. Since then, every time Kocharyan did something anti-national I wanted to give the order back. No room for doubt remained after the tragic night of April 13 th . Thus it is with deep sorrow and with a sense of innocent guilt before St. Mesrop that I return this award. I consider my action the expression of fury and protest of an Armenian intellectual against this pitiful situation," her statement reads. "If Mr. Kocharyan is really concerned about our homeland's fate, if he wants the spirit of unity of the two parts of our nation that worked wonders in 1988 to be restored, he should leave the political arena. There is no other way out," Kaputikyan concludes.

The opposition leaders heading the campaign to force President Robert Kocharyan to resign-Stepan Demirchyan (People's Party of Armenia ), Aram Sargsyan (Republic), and Artashes Geghamyan (National Unity Party)-reaffirmed their intention to convene a further mass demonstration in Yerevan on April 16 th .

Artashes Geghamyan stated that an amount equivalent to $10,000 had disappeared from the safe in the National Accord Party's headquarters after it had been raided by the police.

April 13th - The U.S. State Department released a statement which reads in part: 
"Physical assaults, raids on political party offices and widespread arrests and detentions of opposition activists by the police do not contribute to creating an atmosphere conducive to political dialogue."

The Council of Europe's Secretary-General, Walter Schwimmer, expressed concern about the recent violence in Armenia and warned authorities that the arrest of lawmakers in a member country is "not acceptable".

Parliament members Shavarsh Kocharyan, Arshak Sadoyan and Alexan Karapetyan were released.

Photos by Onnik Krikorian