ARMENIA: MARCH 1 DEATH TOLL HITS TEN

					  UNCLAS YEREVAN 000331 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM KJUS ASEC AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA: MARCH 1 DEATH TOLL HITS TEN 
 
 
(U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
					

1. (SBU) The official death toll of the March 1-2 clashes between
protesters and security services in Yerevan has reached ten. Local
media report the April 11 death of 19-year-old policeman Tigran
Abgarian, who had suffered a gunshot wound in his neck that damaged
his spinal cord.



2. (SBU) On April 14 information on a 10th victim became available.
A 29-year-old civilian, Samvel Harutyunyan from Ararat region, died
April 11. He had received a gunshot to the head which damaged his
brain. According to A1 Plus news service, Harutyunyan died without
gaining consciousness, even though his condition had seemed to
improve after a number of surgeries in recent days. RFE/RL reported
that his funeral took place on April 14.



3. (SBU) According to the Ministry of Health, there are still three
persons who suffered in the clashes that continue to receive
treatment in hospitals. The condition of one of them --Ruben
Torosyan -- continues to be grave. One of the others is in stable
condition, but will remain hospitalized, and the third is to be
released April 15.



4. (SBU) The Prosecutor General's spokesperson Sona Truzian
announced April 11 that authorities have identified the man who was
run over by a car during the clashes, the video of which was widely
circulated on YouTube.com and other internet sites. Refusing to
give further details, Truzian told us that the Special Investigative
Service (SIS) is investigating the case and has questioned both the
man who was run over and the driver of the car. A1 Plus reported
that the car in question -- which belonged to the special police
unit and had been transporting barbed wire in a towed trailer -- was
later burned by protesters.



5. (SBU) Truzian said that they had learned about the accident
through the media just like everyone else, and were surprised that
the video was posted online only on April 1, a month after the
events. According to Truzian the man involved (name neither
announced nor known to us) is not in a life threatening health
condition, but had suffered injuries to his legs. She said the man
did not seek medical assistance in any of the hospitals and that is
another question for the SIS.

FRAZIER