Thousands rally in Armenia after PM warns of ’coup attempt’

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan defied calls to resign and accused the military of an attempted coup on Feb. 25, as divisions over his handling of last year's war with Azerbaijan brought thousands to the streets.

Hours after the general staff of Armenia's military made a shock call for the government to step down, Pashinyan rallied some 20,000 supporters in the center of the capital Yerevan against what he said was an attempt to oust him.

The opposition gathered some 10,000 of its own supporters not far away, then began putting up tents and building barricades outside parliament as it vowed to hold round-the-clock demonstrations.

There were no signs of any military action against Pashinyan, who ordered the armed forces to stand behind the government.

"I am ordering all generals, officers and soldiers: do your job of protecting the country's borders and territorial integrity," he said during the rally.

The army "must obey the people and elected authorities," Pashinyan said.

The defense ministry also issued a statement declaring that "attempts to involve (the military) in political processes are unacceptable."

Pashinyan said he was ready to start talks with the opposition, but also threatened to arrest any opponents who "go beyond political statements".

The prime minister has been under intense pressure over his handling of the conflict for control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, but has ignored repeated calls to resign for losing swathes of territory to Azerbaijan.
After backing the prime minister for months, the military's general staff on Thursday joined calls for him to step down, saying in a statement that he and his cabinet "are not capable of taking adequate decisions".

Pashinyan hit...

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