April 24, 2026
RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan was in Georgia these days.
During the visit, Papikyan met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Georgian Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense Irakli Chikovani. During these meetings, the progress of bilateral cooperation in the field of defense, the priorities of bilateral cooperation, the perspectives of their development, as well as a number of issues related to regional security were discussed.
It is no secret that Georgia is particularly important for Armenia in the context of arms supply as a transit country, and this topic could not be on the agenda for discussion, especially in the war situation around Iran, when objectively Armenia faces the problem of receiving arms through the territory of Iran.
Meanwhile, in February of this year, when RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan visited Iran, serious political and military plans were drawn up, which we wrote
And in relation to Georgia, let’s remind that in January 2024 between Armenia and Georgia was signed strategic partnership agreement. The prime minister of Georgia at that time was Irakli Gharibashvili.
Georgian political scientist Zaal Kasrelishvili was in a hurry “declassify» The main goal of signing a declaration of confirmation of strategic partnership between Georgia and Armenia.
“During the Russo-Georgian war, we did not have such an agreement with Armenia, and at that time the Russian army was attacking the infrastructure of Georgia from the territory of Armenia. Now, after signing this agreement, Armenia is obliged to fulfill the requirement stipulated in it.” he emphasized.
As for what kind of problem Armenia is solving, or what commitment Georgia has taken, in fact, it is not known enough until now. Although, if the Armenian side does not have problems with the Georgian side regarding the supply of weapons, it is already good.
Here it is also necessary to remind Georgian politician Levan Pirveli. «Minval.az»in January 2024 interview in which he had opened The motivation behind Georgia’s decision to “provide” space for French weapons supplied to Armenia.
“Georgia agreed to this in order to get the status of an EU candidate country, because the EU and the collective West actually threatened to “make” a revolution in Georgia. And this would happen if Georgia did not receive the status of an EU candidate country. Therefore, in order to avoid these risks, Georgia had to agree to “military transit” for Armenia,” he elaborated. Of course, there were serious developments in terms of Georgia getting the status of an EU candidate country, but one thing is clear: any such decision pursues a specific interest, maybe now it has changed in the case of the Georgian side.
In any case, let us remind you that in November 2023 Foreign Minister of Georgia Ilya Darchiashvili had said that states have the right to acquire conventional weapons and ammunition, which are not prohibited by international treaties.
“Georgia’s position is to provide an opportunity for both countries to use our transit function on equal terms.” he stressed.
And Armenia, in fact, does not pose a threat in that regard.
On the other hand, let’s not forget that Georgia during the 44-day war was closed air and land routes for aircraft loaded with weapons from Russia to Armenia, which had confirmed also the former head of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan. Of course, Georgia presented its rationale for taking such a step, in detail we have touched on.
Time will tell what more substantive results we will witness from RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan’s visit to Georgia.
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“Under these conditions, I rule out Turkey changing its policy.” Reuben
April 24, 2026
Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul Archbishop Sahak Mashalyan sent a message on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, where he stated that neither denial nor hostility can heal wounds.
“We remember A. The losses suffered by our people during the years of the World War, the displacement, exile and the immeasurable pain that has been passed on from generation to generation. But this commemoration is not only to be closed in the dark pages of the past. This commemoration is also a call to make sense of what we experienced and to move towards the future.
On these lands, where different peoples have lived side by side for centuries, the deposit of peaceful coexistence has received a heavy blow during those years. However, this same geography also reminds us of the inevitable truth – that peoples are not condemned to eternal opposition, but are called to coexistence, dialogue and mutual understanding. in the message Sahak Archbishop Mashalyan noted.
In 1915, 111 years ago, Turkey did not recognize and accept the Armenian Genocide committed by Ottoman Turkey in Western Armenia. At different times, he put forward different excuses for not dealing with the historical truth. The most common of these excuses is that Turkey proposes to leave it all to the “study of historians”.
Under what conditions can Turkey accept the Armenian Genocide, what is Turkey’s policy in this direction today?
Former director of the NAS Institute of Oriental Studies, academician, Turkologist Ruben Safrastyan from observation, Turkey as a state has never been close to recognizing the Armenian Genocide, and I think it won’t be close for a long time.
“There was a time when a group was created in Turkey: intellectuals, students, scientists, who spoke about the Armenian Genocide in a language that was different from the official language, because the official language generally denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide. They tried to find other ways to consider the issue of the Armenian Genocide, but it all lasted for several years. When the crackdown on dissidents increased in Turkey, some of the people involved in that group most likely left Turkey, and the others who remained, no longer express themselves on this topic.” 168.amRuben Safrastyan said in a conversation with
According to our interlocutor, at the moment, in Turkey, there is no other point of view regarding the fact of the Armenian Genocide publicly at the official level.
Regarding the process of normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations, Ruben Safrastyan said that Turkey’s rhetoric regarding this process has changed in some respects and has become more positive. On the other hand, it is visible that the problems are of technical nature, no real steps are being taken by Turkey.
“Under these circumstances, I rule out that Turkey can change its policy regarding the issue of the Armenian Genocide. If we imagine for a moment that in the future Armenian-Turkish relations will at least be settled diplomatically, and Turkey will establish diplomatic relations with Armenia, etc., I don’t think that even under those conditions, Turkey will change its policy towards the Armenian Genocide issue,” stressed Ruben Safrastyan.
To the question: what should be the policy pursued by Armenia in these conditions, the Turkologist answered: when they try to observe the policy of the Third Republic of Armenia towards Turkey from a historical point of view, they note that Armenia did not put forward any preconditions for regulating relations with Turkey, that is, Armenia never demanded that Turkey recognize the Armenian Genocide, and only after that establish diplomatic relations with Turkey.
“This has been the RA policy for decades, now it is difficult to say whether this is right or wrong, we can discuss this issue. I am sure that in the future, Armenia will not create any obstacles in the context of establishing relations with Turkey by bringing up the issue of the Armenian Genocide, that is, it will not demand that Turkey condemn the genocide, and then only Armenia establish relations.
I think this is first of all necessary for Turkey to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide, regardless of its relations with Armenia, so that it can develop more dynamically as a society. Look, Germany solved that problem and how it is developing, and it is developing not only economically, but also as a society,” said Ruben Safrastyan.
He hopes that a time will come in Turkey when the Turkish society will understand that by recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, they are not equating it with the crime of the past, but are opening a way for the future.
“In the 20th century, there was a famous Turkish writer, Nazem Hikmet, who is considered one of the important figures of Turkish literature. He has a novel, “Romantic”, the hero of that novel expresses himself as follows: “the massacre of Armenians is a big black stain on our forehead, if we want to move forward, we have to clean that stain.” I think this should be considered a problem of the maturity of the Turkish society,” emphasized Ruben Safrastyan.
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Currently, for Ankara, the control of the historical narrative is becoming more than just
April 24, 2026
On the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a number of state and political leaders from different countries of the world delivered messages.
In their statements, they refer to the importance of historical justice, preservation of memory and prevention of such crimes, emphasizing that the condemnation of genocides should be a key part of international solidarity.
Tarelits is another occasion to remember the victims and rethink the responsibility facing humanity to not forget the lessons of the past and to prevent similar tragedies in the future. French President Emmanuel Macron made a post on X on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
“Today, on April 24, the Republic commemorates the victims of the 1915 Armenian Genocide and bows to their memory,” it is stated in his post. The head of the Elysée Palace emphasized that this is an opportunity to remember, convey and emphasize the inseparable connection between France and Armenia, as well as the French and Armenians.
The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, also sent a message, in which it is noted that the brutal massacre of innocent people shocked the entire civilized world, and its disastrous consequences clearly showed what the incitement of religious hatred, nationalism and xenophobia leads to.
“We are convinced that the policy of mass extermination and displacement of people on national soil has no justification and cannot have, and the international community must unite efforts so that such barbarism is never repeated anywhere,” Putin said.
Turkish President Recep Erdogan also sent an April 24th message, again announcing that the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire lost their lives in the difficult conditions of the First World War.
In his letter of condolence to the Armenian Patriarch of Turkey Sahak Mashalyan, Erdogan wrote that the collapse of the Ottoman Empire was accompanied by clashes, movements of terrorist groups, terrorism, and epidemics, during which, among other peoples, Armenians also suffered deeply.
Erdogan’s message was read during the liturgy in the Armenian church in Istanbul.
“Instead of conflict, we prefer agreement,” wrote the President of Turkey. According to him, on the basis of peace, well-being and brotherhood, they continue to act and fight together with all their compatriots and friends, regardless of their national and religious affiliations.
168.amin a conversation with Russian orientalist Viktor Nadein-Raevsky said that Turkey’s current political line is formed at the point of intersection of several axes at the same time, between preserving national identity, expanding regional influence and ensuring internal political stability.
According to him, in this context, the issues of historical memory, especially the topic of the Armenian Genocide, continue to be a part of state security and ideological integrity.
He believes that although Ankara sometimes raises the topic of historians, it considers the issue outside the scope of historiography, it is a political tool.
“Denial is one of the key components of this policy, it operates at different levels, from education to diplomacy. It allows maintaining public consensus, avoiding discussions that could revise history. At the same time, denial has a preventive nature. creates a dead end for a possible agenda of legal claims, reducing the likelihood of international pressure. This logic becomes more clear and explainable when it is considered against the background of “Turan’s” ideology.
Integration processes between Turkic-speaking countries in the economic, military and cultural spheres imply the construction and expansion of common historical and value bases. The policy of 1915 was transformed and has reached our days as the “Turan” program, on which Armenia is on the way. Therefore, the control of the historical narrative is becoming a part of not only domestic but also a broad regional strategy,” the analyst said.
He believes that this whole picture shows that Turkey’s non-recognition of the Armenian Genocide is not a random or situational choice. “It is a systemic approach that combines the protection of state identity, foreign political calculations and future-oriented integration programs. It is in these layers that the stable position of Ankara is formed, which, despite the wording changing over time, remains the same in its content,” said Viktor Nadein-Raevsky.
The Russian Turkologist believes that maintaining this tough and consistent position of Turkey is also contributed to a certain extent by the policy of the current authorities of Armenia, especially in those areas where the topics of historical memory, international recognition and claim-making are pushed to the background for the sake of stability or regional de-escalation. “Therefore today it was impossible to expect a different reaction from the Turkish side, this was logical and expected,” said Viktor Nadein-Raevsky.
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168: MFA wants additional billions. The Government accepted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ notice
April 24, 2026
Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented the agenda of the government session on approving the draft laws “On Amendments to the Law on Diplomatic Service”, “On Amendments and Amendments to the Law on “Public Service” and “On Amendments and Amendments to the Law on Remuneration of State Positions and Public Service Persons” and considering it urgent.
The proposal was accepted with a package of non-reportable issues.
According to the justification presented, the adoption of this legal act
is aimed at solving problems arising in the field, regulating various gaps that require legislative regulations and found in practice, improving the remuneration conditions of diplomats serving in diplomatic service bodies in foreign countries on the principle of rotation.
Accordingly,
– the requirement for a diplomat to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a subordinate body for at least two years will be revised, setting it at 18 (eighteen) months.
– regulations on establishing a diplomatic office will be introduced.
“In recent years, according to agreements reached with foreign countries, it became necessary to establish diplomatic offices in some countries.
For example, there are cases when it is necessary to have a representation of the state in a foreign country, but at that time it is not advisable to create an embassy from a financial or other point of view. In such cases, an agreement can be reached with a foreign state to establish a diplomatic office,” the document says;
the provision of paying 50 percent of the compensation to the spouse holding a lower position in the case of the service of diplomat spouses in the same diplomatic service body in a foreign country will be removed from the draft law.
According to the rationale, “such a change is aimed at ensuring equal pay conditions for diplomat spouses, as well as the principles of equal pay for equal work.”
The adoption of another draft law, “On Amendments to the Law on the Remuneration of Persons Occupying State Positions and State Service Positions”, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was conditioned by the equalization of the official rates of diplomats serving in diplomatic service bodies in foreign countries and diplomats serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.
“Currently, the official rates of diplomats serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are set by the law “On Remuneration of Persons Occupying State Positions and Public Service Positions”, when a normal increase of the basic salary – official rate is set for consecutive work (for example, the calculated minimum rate of the first secretary is AMD 267,072, and the maximum rate is AMD 366,080 drams), and the official rates of diplomats serving in diplomatic service bodies operating in foreign countries on the principle of rotation are defined by the Government of the Republic of Armenia No. 738-Н of July 3, 2014 by decision, when a normal increase in the official rate is not planned and not ensured (for example, the rate of the first secretary for the countries of the single euro payment zone is established at 157,069 AMD, and for countries other than the countries of the single euro payment zone – 178,442 AMD, which is unchanged),” the justification states.
But that’s not all, the foreign ministry also attributed this change to the continuously changing security environment in the region and the world, the presence of external threats and challenges surrounding the Republic of Armenia. According to the Ministry, this requires the diplomats serving in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the diplomatic service bodies of the Republic of Armenia on a rotational basis to make incomparably more energetic efforts on bilateral and multilateral platforms, which in turn creates a need to “make changes to the law “On Remuneration of Persons Occupying State Positions and State Service Positions” in order to improve the remuneration conditions”.
This part of the justification, by the way, is in contradiction with the peace talks that Nikol Pashinyan addresses to the RA citizens every day.
This, in turn, implies the need for additional financial resources and expected changes in the revenues and expenditures of the state budget.
Thus, according to the rationale, after the law “On Amendments to the Law “On Remuneration of Persons Occupying State Positions and State Service Positions” comes into force. In 2026, the RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs will need an additional 93,490.3 thousand drams per month for salaries and 56,993.7 thousand drams for each half-yearly award, and in the following years the expenses will increase by 1,235,870.6 thousand drams»։
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RFE/RL – Pashinian Stresses ‘Meds Yeghern’ On Armenian Genocide Anniversary
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian again did not explicitly name the masterminds and perpetrators of the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey as Armenia marked its 111th anniversary on Friday.
Pashinian instead blamed third countries who he said had drawn Armenian subjects of the Ottoman Empire into their “international intrigues” during the First World War. And he continued to put the emphasis on the Armenian phrase “Meds Yeghern” (Great Crime), rather than the term “genocide,” in reference to the slaughter of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians.
Pashinian used the term only twice in his 540-word statement issued on the occasion, compared with his five references to the “Meds Yeghern.” U.S. President Donald Trump has cited “Meds Yeghern” to avoid describing the Armenian massacres as genocide in his April 24 statements.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Armenians marched to the Tsitsernakabert memorial in Yerevan during the annual remembrance of the genocide victims. The daylong procession followed an official wreath-laying ceremony at the hilltop memorial led by Pashinian.
Catholicos Garegin II, the supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church whom Pashinian has been trying to depose, was again excluded from the annual ceremony. Garegin and other top clergymen held a prayer service at Tsitsernakabert later in the morning. Armenian state television did not show the service during its live coverage from the scene.
The genocide began with mass arrests on April 24, 1915 of Armenian intellectuals and activists in Constantinople. Scores of Armenians were massacred or starved to death in the following months and years. About three dozen nations, including Russia, France, Germany and the United States, have recognized the genocide.
“Today we commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the Meds Yeghern, and pay tribute to our compatriots who were subjected to massacre, deportation, and starvation in the Ottoman Empire for being Armenians,” read Pashinian’s statement. “The Meds Yeghern is the greatest tragedy that has ever befallen us, and our people have been reliving it for 111 years.”
The statement did not mention the regime of the so-called Young Turks that ruled the crumbling empire at the time. The genocide was a “consequence of the practice of involving the Armenian people in international intrigues,” it said, clearly alluding to the Russian Empire and European powers. Armenia “cannot allow the Meds Yeghern to become a tool for international players to fight against each other,” it stressed.
Pashinian similarly declared in January 2025 that Armenians should “understand what happened” in 1915 and what prompted the subsequent campaign for international recognition of the genocide. He seemed to imply that the decades-long campaign led by the Armenian communities in the United States and Europe was instigated by the Soviet Union.
Armenian historians, opposition figures and retired diplomats expressed outrage at that statement. They accused Pashinian of questioning and even denying the genocide for the sake of pleasing Turkey, which continues to deny a deliberate government effort to exterminate the Ottoman Empire’s Armenian population.
Pashinian also made clear last year that his government will not strive to get more countries and international bodies to recognize the genocide. He questioned the wisdom of relevant resolutions already adopted by many foreign parliaments, saying that they undermine stability in the region.
Armenian opposition leaders again condemned Pashinian’s policy as they marked the genocide anniversary on Friday. They said greater international recognition of the genocide will be back on the Armenian government’s agenda if they defeat the ruling Civil Contract party in upcoming parliamentary elections.
“Armenia’s current leaders are trying to justify the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide. Moreover, they are trying to equate the victim and the executioner,” charged Samvel Karapetian, a billionaire whose opposition bloc is expected to be Pashinian’s main election challenger.
“Nothing will be forgotten,” said former President Robert Kocharian leading another major opposition force.
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Armenian Genocide Museum Deletes Posts On Church Head
- Susan Badalian
More than one month after the resignation of its director ordered by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute (AGMI) hastily deleted on Friday its online posts on Catholicos Garegin II’s visit to the genocide memorial in Yerevan.
The supreme head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, whom Pashinian has been controversially trying to depose, led a traditional prayer service at the Tsitsernakabert memorial as Armenia marked the 111th anniversary of the genocide in Ottoman Turkey. The service took place shortly after a wreath-laying ceremony attended by Pashinian and other senior officials.
The AGMI, which runs the memorial, posted photographs of and a short statement on Garegin’s visit on its website and social media accounts. It took down the posts several hours later without any explanation.
The development is bound to be linked to AGMI Director Edita Gzoyan’s resignation announced in early March. Pashinian admitted forcing her to step down because of what she told and gave U.S. President JD Vance during his February 10 visit to the Tsitsernakabert complex.
Gzoyan presented Vance with books about the 1915 genocide and the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Pashinian said her “provocative action” ran counter to his policy towards Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Armenian opposition leaders as well as many public figures accused the prime minister of openly violating academic freedom in the country. Twenty-five genocide scholars based in the United States and Europe likewise denounced the “silencing of independent academic voices in favor of political convenience” in a joint statement issued on March 12.
“Dr. Gzoyan’s forced exit sends a chilling message to academics and historians everywhere: that rigorous inquiry and truthful remembrance can be displaced for diplomatic comfort,” they said.
Gzoyan’s removal also upset the AGMI’s staff and board of trustees. The board’s chairman, French-Armenian genocide scholar Raymond Kevorkian, and several members resigned in protest. Pashinian swiftly replaced them. He also installed one of his former aides, Hrachya Tashchian, as the AGMI’s acting director.
Tashchian, who is a former diplomat and has no scholarly experience, insisted on Thursday that Gzoyan’s sacking has not affected the institute’s activities. Narine Margarian, the AGMI’s research secretary, said, however, that it has upended its international cooperation programs.
“Some of the events related to our international partners are frozen or in limbo at the moment,” Margarian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
“There is concern that the best genocide scholars and specialists in the field, who have publicly said academic freedom is at risk here, will decide not to attend in these circumstances,” she said.
Margarian was also concerned about the future of a research project financed by the European Union and implemented by the AGMI for the last two years.
“There are signals from the European side that perhaps it will not continue into the third year in the way it was designed to,” she said.
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Russia Slams New EU Mission To Armenia
April 24, 2026
Russia deplored on Friday the European Union’s decision to send another mission to Armenia, saying that it is part of EU efforts to turn the South Caucasus country into an anti-Russian “outpost” in the region.
The two-year mission requested by the Armenian government and approved by EU foreign ministers earlier this week is tasked with helping Yerevan cope with “hybrid threats” emanating from abroad, presumably Russia, before and after the country’s June 7 parliamentary elections.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, claimed that it will seek to “influence” the election outcome “under the pretext of tracking illicit financial flows and countering cyberattacks, information manipulation and information interference from third countries.”
“A mission that will claim to fight against interference in the affairs of a sovereign state is itself an instrument of such interference,” Zakharova told reporters, according to the TASS news agency.
“We hope that our Armenian allies and friends will not allow the new mission to … draw Yerevan into the West’s geopolitical games which would involve the destruction of friendly ties with our country and joining Brussels’ anti-Russian policy,” she warned.
The EU already decided last month to send a separate “hybrid rapid response team” to Yerevan for the elections. The Armenian government requested the deployment as well after implicitly alleging Russian “hybrid” threats to the integrity of the electoral process. Government officials have not publicly elaborated on those threats.
A similar EU mission was deployed in Moldova ahead of parliamentary elections held there last September. Two Moldovan opposition parties deemed pro-Russian were disqualified from the vote won by the former Soviet republic’s pro-Western leadership. The Russian Foreign Ministry claimed on March 4 that the EU is gearing up for a repeat of “the Moldovan scenario” in Armenia.
Armenia’s leading opposition groups, notably a bloc led by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetian, are concerned that they too could be barred from running in the polls. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian against such bans during their April 1 talks at the Kremlin.
Putin also implied that Armenia will lose its tariff-free access to the Russian market and a significant discount on the price of Russian natural gas imported by it if it keeps seeking to join the EU. Pashinian and his Civil Contract effectively ignored these warnings in their election manifesto published late last week.
Zakharova said the EU has no intention to admit Yerevan in the foreseeable future. The 27-nation bloc is only keen to “turn Armenia into its outpost,” she claimed.
Yerevan is due to host on May 4-5 a first-ever EU-Armenian summit viewed by local analysts as a pre-election show of EU support for Pashinian and his pro-Western foreign policy.
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RFE/RL – Pashinian’s Wife Sued For Election Law Violation
- Naira Bulghadarian
A coalition of Armenian vote-monitoring groups has sued Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s influential wife, Anna Hakobian, accusing her of illegally engaging in benevolent activities ahead of the June 7 parliamentary elections.
Armenian law bans such activities by not only politicians running for office or members of their parties but also their close relatives and other individuals linked to them.
Hakobian unexpectedly announced in late February the break-up of her 30-year de facto marriage with Pashinian never registered with a relevant state body or the Armenian Apostolic Church. Critics of the Armenian government questioned the authenticity of the divorce. Some of them said it is designed to end opposition claims that Hakobian’s My Step charity is flouting the legal ban.
Pashinian made a joint public appearance with Hakobian on April 19 hours after exposing her presence in his official residence on social media. He said on Thursday that he has reunited with her.
The Independent Observer coalition reported the lawsuit against My Step on the same day. Hakobian will only face a fine of up to 6 million drams ($16,000) if Armenia’s Administrative Court finds her guilty of the violation alleged by the Western-funded observers.
“Separating the My Step fund from the [ruling] Civil Contract party is clearly artificial,” the Independent Observer’s Vardine Grigorian told reporters.
Hakobian denied any wrongdoing later on Thursday. In a Facebook post, she said My Step’s activities are not connected with the upcoming elections in any way. The charity has been organizing free English-language and physical training courses and handing out material aid to people.
Hakobian refused to say whether she could suspend those activities during the election campaign as she visited the Armenian genocide memorial in Yerevan on Friday. The 48-year-old, who is believed to have exerted a strong influence on Pashinian, was surrounded by more than a dozen bodyguards who manhandled reporters trying to approach and ask her questions.
Shortly before the announcement of Pashinian’s “divorce,” Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC) pledged to look into Hakobian’s benevolence to determine whether it violates the law. However, the head of the law-enforcement agency, Artur Nahapetian, said on Friday that Hakobian is not under investigation.
The ACC is known to have prosecuted only opposition figures on relevant charges. Billionaire Samvel Karapetian’s opposition alliance, which is expected to be Civil Contract’s main election challenger, has been on the receiving end of such criminal proceedings in recent months.
A senior member of the Strong Armenia alliance, Gohar Ghumashian, was arrested and indicted as recently as on April 14. The ACC claimed that she handed out cash to one voter and promised “services on preferential terms” to another last month. Ghumashian denied the accusation and was freed by court hours later.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Asm. Harabedian’s Statement on President Trump’s Failu
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, April 24, 2026 CONTACT: Sam Villaneda, Tom Steel, [email protected], (916) 319-2041 Asm. Harabedian’s Statement on President Trump’s Failure to Recognize the Armenian Genocide
(PASADENA, CA) – On Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, Assemblymember John Harabedian, Chair of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus Foundation and the only Armenian serving in the State Legislature, issued the following
“On the very day we honor the memory of 1.5 million Armenians who were systematically murdered, President Trump once again chose silence over truth. By refusing to call the Armenian Genocide what it is, he is perpetuating a dangerous
Each year on April 24, Armenians around the world commemorate the genocide that claimed over 1.5 million lives at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Recognition is essential. Naming genocide affirms historical truth, honors the victims, and
President Trump’s continued refusal to use the word “genocide,� even on this solemn day of remembrance, undermines decades of advocacy and disregards the moral responsibility to confront injustice with honesty. At a time when the Armenian
California has made its position clear: we will not waver in recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
##### Assemblymember John Harabedian represents the 41st District composed of the cities of La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Bradbury, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont,
— Armenpress: China’s defense minister to visit Russia, Kyrgyzstan for SCO meetiRussia09:11, 23 April 2026
Read the article in: فارسی, Armenian, Russian:
From April 23 to 28, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun will visit Russia and Kyrgyzstan and attend a meeting of defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital, China’s Xinhua state news agency reported citing a statement from the country’s defense ministry. During the meeting, Dong will deliver a speech and meet with heads of delegations from relevant countries to exchange views on international and regional situations as well as defense and security cooperation, according to the report. Read the article in: فارسی, Armenian, Russian:
Published by Armenpress, original at |