Several activists held during Yerevan protests against electricity price hikes
YEREVAN. Sept 1 (Interfax) - Five activists from No to Robbery, a civil movement, who were protesting the increase in electricity prices, have been taken to police stations in central Yerevan.
"The activists acted unlawfully. We will not let them do anything unlawful. Holding protests is your right, but within the law. Very soon the citizens brought to police stations will be released. The police are acting within their authority," Yerevan police chief Col. Valery Osipyan told reporters on Tuesday.
Over 100 protestors tried to block traffic in the central Bahramyan Avenue in Yerevan, an Interfax correspondent said.
The civil movement said earlier that it is resuming protests from September 1. "The authorities have not delivered on their promise to compensate for the increase in electricity rates before the audit is completed of Electric Networks of Armenia (ESA), which is now demanding that businesses should pay higher rates for their energy consumption," movement spokesman Artush Chibukhchyan told reporters.
On June 17 the Armenian commission regulating public services decided to increase electricity rates from August 1, 2015, by 6.93 drams per one kilowatt-hour. The current rate is 41.85 drams per one kilowatt-hour in daytime and 31.85 drams per one kilowatt-hour at nighttime. The rate increase was proposed by ESA.
ESA owns 36,000 kilometers of Armenia's electricity networks (almost the entire national grid) and operates as an energy supplier. The company is 100% owned by Inter RAO.
The electricity price increase prompted massive protests in Yerevan on June 19, organized by No to Robbery. The movement consists mainly of young people who deny links to any political or social forces.
The protests ended on July 10.
On June 27, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan told the country's energy policymakers that ESA was to undergo an international audit, and while it is underway the government will take upon itself "the burden of increasing prices" for electricity.
Meanwhile, the Armenian media claim that ESA employees have been paying visits to small and medium-sized enterprises, demanding that they sign an undertaking to pay at a higher rate.
ESA has declined to comment on this information.