Commentary: The Armenian political scene has been caught in a time-warp for the last quarter of a century. There is plurality and competition, but the participants are by and large all veterans of a war that took place in the last century, and who see politics from the prism of that war.
News update, Saturday 23 July 11.00 GMT: The last two hostages held in Erebuni police headquarters in Armenia have been released. The armed men who stormed the building on Sunday have not yet surrendered
In a statement the EU stressed that the use of force to achieve political change is unacceptable and also noted with concern reports on excessive use of force and mass arrests by the police
The state of emergency allows the president and cabinet to bypass parliament in passing new laws and to limit rights and freedoms as they deem necessary.