Thank you for downloading this BBC World Service podcast.

In Armenia's daredevils, Rayhan Dimitri

meets supporters of a group of rebels who are inspired by medieval warriors.

Hello and welcome to assignment on the BBC World Service.

I'm Rayhan Dimitri and reporting from Armenia where a new radical form of protest is emerging.

About 200 young people are marching along one of the central avenues in the capital Yerevan and they're

holding a big banner with the name of an armed group known as the Dead Devils of

Sassoon or Sassanatenzren in Armenian.

All of these men whose names are being called out one by one are currently in jail awaiting

trial. That's because back in July they seized control over major police headquarters here in the capital.

As they stormed the building, a policeman was fatally wounded, two died later on and several

more were taken hostage. Yet thousands of Armenians came out to the streets in their support,

sparking one of the biggest anti-government protests here in years.

Several months on and the daring act of the 31 gunman is being mythologized by their supporters.

We're proud of you.

We're proud of you.

You are the glory of Armenia go the words of this song just one of several

written to honor the daredevils in this week's assignment I'm here to find out who

these gunmen are what what motivated them, and why their actions this summer

have polarized Armenian society. We have a court in Armenia when there is no anything we can do only crazies find the

solution.

Tate Petre-Zern is an activist, a graphic designer and the daughter of one of the

...