Facebook reportedly blocked in Armenia during unrest in the capital
Facebook appeared to be blocked for a period in Armenia Sunday, according to locals on Twitter.
Only one day after Twitter was throttled in Turkey during an ill-fated coup attempt, social media again seemed to become a target during unrest in Armenia's capital, Yerevan. Facebook has been approached for comment.
The Armenian security service said that armed men had stormed a police headquarters in Yerevan Sunday and were holding hostages, Reuters reported. The group called for the release of Jirair Sefilian who was arrested in June. Sefilian is an opposition activist and critic of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.
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The security service also accused "the hostage takers' supporters of spreading false rumours on the internet that an armed uprising against the government was underway," according to the outlet.
A spokesman for the group demanded the release of all "political prisoners," and called on Armenians to take to the streets to force the government to step down.
Early Sunday, journalists and others in Armenia used Twitter to suggest Facebook had been blocked for a period as the incident unfolded.
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Others shared that Facebook was working fine, and later that the connection had since been restored.
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This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Photos and live video from the scene showed huddles of police near the station.
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Armenia shares its western border with Turkey. Once part of the former Soviet Union, the country became independent in 1991.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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Ariel Bogle was an associate editor with Mashable in Australia covering technology. Previously, Ariel was associate editor at Future Tense in Washington DC, an editorial initiative between Slate and New America.
