April 27, 2026
Recently, another international report was published, which once again demolishes the thesis about a flourishing and prosperous Armenia, which the authorities have been imposing on citizens for years. Moreover, this report is also interesting from the point of view that when it became known in December of last year that ministers’ salaries were artificially increased under the name of “bonus payment” in the state system, the ruling “Civil Agreement” party cited the fact of effective work as an excuse. Meanwhile, in fact, the opposite is proven once again by the facts.
We are talking about the World Bank’s “Worldwide Governance Indicators-WGI” analysis. Although this analysis does not calculate a single index, but by analyzing more than 30 sources, it provides a comprehensive picture of the various directions of public administration for each year (the last one for 2024), not propaganda, but objective. The narrative of “progress” built by the government over the years actually collides with the undeniable reality of the numbers.
The report clearly reflects that the “post-revolutionary achievements” were the result of short-lived euphoria, not the result of systemic changes. 2018-2019 not only were certain positive movements not strengthened, but in the following years they were replaced by noticeable regression in important directions.
Most worrying “Political stability and absence of violence” (Political Stability and Absence of Violence) indicator image. if in 2019 the indicator was quite high, then in 2024 a sharp decline was recorded. Moreover, the last time it was lower than the value of 2024 was in 2000.
Let’s remind that the entire propaganda speech of the ruling political force is based on the thesis of “the former”, “there will be no return to the previously existing order”, while they, at a much lower level of management efficiency compared to the “predecessors”, they smoothly return to that past with their own management methods.
“Government Efficiency” In the case of the (Government Effectiveness) indicator, the picture is more telling. the highest result recorded during the years of the current government’s rule (2018) exceeds the values of the years of the previous government only in 2008, and there was no result lower than the level of 2024 in any year of the previous government. In other words, the best result of the years of the CP government barely surpasses one of the lowest indicators of the previous government.
“Setting Quality” Regarding the (Regulatory Quality) indicator, no significant change has been recorded since 2004, and the value of 2024 exceeds only the level of 2014, and that is insignificant. In other words, this index, which remained almost unchanged for two decades, did not record any breakthrough during the current government, which indicates the lack of systemic reforms, regardless of the promises made.
What about? “Citizens’ Voice and Accountability” (Voice and Accountability) indicator, then in 2018 increased sharply and reached its maximum value, but decreased in subsequent years.
Although the value of the index in 2024 is still higher than the level of 2017, the values of the index in recent years also prove that the initial euphoria did not last long. Perhaps, this is the most eloquent political assessment of Nikol Pashinyan’s administration. As a result, today it is already obvious that the promised democratic leap in quality has turned into a setback, and public trust has turned into a resource consumed by the government.
Thus, a simple but politically important conclusion is formed. 2018-2019 after the changes, the promised systemic breakthrough did not take place.
The “new Armenia” declared by the authorities remained at the level of statements, the indicators of real governance testify to the opposite: the degradation of governance, institutional weakening and the lack of a long-term development agenda. Moreover, the “revolutionary” mandate cannot endlessly serve as an excuse for governance lapses.
In these conditions, making promises about “prosperity” is no longer optimism, but a political manipulation disconnected from reality. And the most important question comes up. In the conditions of this whole picture, failed promises and wasted public trust, why should the people trust this same force with power again?
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“The practice of beheadings was reflected exclusively in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
April 27, 2026
After the previous session of the government, Nikol Pashinyan gave a briefing again, during which one of the journalists asked whether he is ready to make a public commitment to support the punishment of war crimes on the territory of Armenia, even if it concerns the military and political elite of Azerbaijan.
“I have decided for myself that I will address these topics with the maximum directness, as I said in response to the previous questions: it’s all a double-edged sword. We must not forget the message of the New Testament: “with what judgment you judge, with the same judgment you will be judged, with the same measure you measure, with the same measure you will be measured.” I do not agree that you and I should look each other in the eye and deceive each other and, even more, deceive our people, because it is a double-edged sword. These rumors exist now, by the way, the facts, no one denies it, but we need to understand what we are talking about. And this is the trap from which we cannot get out, my opinion is that we have to get out of that trap, and we are getting out. We should be fried in our oil, each of us in our own oil,” he said noted Nikol Pashinyan.
Let us remind you that on September 13, 2022, when Azerbaijan attacked the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, there were beheadings and amputations of female soldiers at the positions of Jermuk, which the Azerbaijani soldiers filmed and distributed on Telegram channels. Conscript soldiers were also killed and filmed, including the scenes of killing a captured Armenian soldier.
Siranush Sahakyan, representative and lawyer of Armenian prisoners of war at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). referring to this statement, he noted that the fight for justice is the positive obligation of the state when crimes are committed, the investigation of these crimes is not a matter of taste, it is a legal matter, and there are commitments regarding it.
“The fight against torture is also subject to universal jurisdiction, even if no citizen of the Republic of Armenia is subjected to torture on the territory of the Republic of Armenia, and the perpetrators or witnesses are located in Armenia, and the investigation has elements of effectiveness, its failure to do so may lead to the international legal responsibility of the Republic of Armenia from the point of view of the rights of the tortured.
Therefore, torture or intentional crimes against life, the investigation of which involves punishing criminals, are within the scope of the state’s obligations. If the state does not fulfill these obligations, it leads to the violation of various conventions, in terms of litigation and procedure.” 168.amSiranush Sahakyan mentioned in a conversation with
He emphasized that it is understandable that the non-implementation of all this has exclusively political reasons in the sphere of bilateral relations, but this does not exempt him from obligations. improper political situation cannot justify non-fulfilment of international obligations.
“Now the state cannot refuse, of course we do not know what the court’s approach will be. I would like to mention that the European Court pays particular attention to those cases which have legal value and which can have an impact on the entire European region. I think that cases of this nature are in this category.
The good news is that when the Republic of Armenia filed an interstate complaint, perhaps the professional community was well aware that they could become the subject of political negotiations and bargaining, where the outcome is not guaranteed. It may start, but there will be such a multifactorial and complex situation that the will of the public authorities may be limited or not derived from the law, and this will lead to the interruption of even the started legal processes.
This is the reason why the cases revealing war crimes of high, important value were presented within the framework of an individual complaint. Victims have cooperated with human rights defenders, and the crimes we are talking about are included in individual complaints, regardless of the wishes of states. It is inevitable that we will have legal positions on these issues, and I think justice will be served on international platforms,” added Siranush Sahakyan.
The international community rejects the thesis that peace can be achieved without justice. The only way that can ensure a long-term, stable and reliable peace is justice and respect for the rights of the victims. If this qualitative measure does not ensure peace, then it cannot have credibility.
“I think that the impulses of political actors are also important in that public communication. For example, when the Statute of the International Criminal Court was ratified, the message was clear that protection was being increased because those who committed these acts would be held accountable for their crimes.
The document was ratified, after which the most brutal murders and tortures, which are unknown on the European continent, took place in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. I should mention that this practice of beheadings, which was exclusively reflected in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, is not specific to other European countries, but there was no consistency in connection with these actions, so that the international criminal court would address those responsible and call for criminal responsibility. I think the only way is for the human rights community to assume this responsible burden and carry it out with honor, always remaining faithful to law and justice.
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“This is the 7th case in Artsakh when the church is completely destroyed. The hand of Azerbaijan
April 27, 2026
The thorough destruction of monuments in Artsakh, occupied by Azerbaijan, continues. After the destruction of Stepanakert’s Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God Hovan, users on social media in Azerbaijan are already talking about the destruction of the monument of Artsakh “We are our mountains”. The monument has been vandalized in the last 2 years, various notes have been made on the monument by Azerbaijanis, and it has been dug up in some parts.
Regarding the destruction of monuments in occupied Artsakh, Nikol Pashinyan has already said in a conversation with journalists after the previous session of the Government that he is not going to make the issue a subject of discussion at the state level.
Lernik Hovhannisyan, Chairman of the Diocesan Council of Artsakh Diocese in other words, despite the fact that RA does not raise the issue at the state level, the issue has been constantly discussed and raised by academic circles, various non-governmental organizations in various international conferences.
“The problem is that there is no state policy in this matter, even our Foreign Ministry avoids saying even a word of slight regret or pain. In other words, if there is no state policy in this matter and together with the word “Artsakh” they avoid saying Amaras, Gandzasr, Dadivank, what could it be about?,- 168.am–Lernik Hovhannisyan said in a conversation with
According to him, if there is no state-level policy and state support behind the work carried out by non-governmental organizations of academic circles, they are already facing serious problems. This issue is one that the state must take serious steps to solve.
“There is no one to hold Azerbaijan’s hand, the structures that are called to deal with the issues of cultural heritage protection in conflict zones, they have long ceased to fulfill their real role, they have mainly turned into political bodies. It is necessary to have a clear policy in order to convince these structures, or in some way to force them, so that a monitoring group visits Artsakh and takes steps on the spot, presents the situation. All this is not being done, Azerbaijan is taking advantage of the situation and doing whatever it wants,” added Lernik Hovhannisyan.
He found it difficult to say what will happen to the monuments of Artsakh, which are at least half standing at the moment, in the absence of state policy, but he knows one thing for sure that they will continue to raise their voices and push the issue forward, even as individuals.
“I don’t know what result this struggle will bring, but the fact that the issue is being raised and discussed is already a step forward, but unfortunately there are no real actions on the ground.”
There are hundreds of cases of vandalism and desecration in Artsakh, but this is the 7th case when churches in Artsakh are completely destroyed. In addition, there is no clear number of cases of vandalism, we are collecting the information on various social platforms,” emphasized Lernik Hovhannisyan.
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Almost 2 years after the contract’s murder, the Central Committee only excludes that it will fight
April 27, 2026
168.amhas been trying for about two years find out the circumstances of the death of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan – was he killed by enemy fire or not, because from the beginning the criminal proceedings are characterized by murder be initiated, but in response to our written and oral inquiries and questions from the RA Investigative Committee՝ they said nothing has been revealed yet.
On June 14, 2024, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia issued a message stating: “On June 14, around 08:20, the body of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan was found with a gunshot wound in the guard area of the N military unit of the RA Defense Ministry. An investigation is underway to fully clarify the circumstances of the incident.”
Later it was the RA Investigative Committee message disseminate where it was reported.
“2024 on June 14, a report was received from the RO Sisian department of the RA Defense Ministry that on the same day at around 08:20, the body of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan was found with a gunshot wound in the head area in the combat position of the protection area of the N military unit of the RA Defense Ministry.
In connection with the case, in the third garrison investigative department of the Military Investigative Main Department of the Republic of Armenia of the RA Criminal Code Part 1 of Article 155 features of criminal proceedings initiated within the framework, immediate investigative and administrative actions were taken, including an examination of the scene and the body.
A number of examinations were appointed in order to clarify the essential circumstances of the criminal proceedings.
An investigation is underway. Necessary measures are being taken to fully clarify the circumstances of the incident.”
And on April 18, 2026, we sent another written request on this topic to the RA Investigative Committee to find out whether the killing of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan was caused by enemy fire or not, if the problem is internal, then what is the stage of the criminal proceedings, is there a suspect, an accused?
And finally, in its response letter sent to us on April 27, the RA Investigative Committee disclosed more substantive information, stating:
“Regarding the death of contract soldier Armen Gurgeni Gasparyan in the combat position of the N military unit of the Armenian Defense Ministry. of the RA Criminal Code During the preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings initiated by Article 155, part 1, many evidentiary and other procedural actions were performed, appointed and received a series conclusions of examinations, according to which, the shell found at the scene, the part of the bullet mold were shot attached to Armen Gasparyan from the rifle, and the latter the injuries described on the cap on the head are gunshot, bullet, caused by a single shot with a bullet containing copper, what already? objectively excludes the hypothesis of firing by the enemy or from the given direction։ The investigation is ongoing.”
Time will tell whether the Investigative Committee’s exclusion that the enemy did not kill our contractor will be confirmed at the end of the preliminary investigation.
in the armory of the Ministry of Defense the conclusions regarding the explosion of the mortar fire are not yet ready
But in our survey sent to the RA Investigative Committee, we also included questions related to other cases recorded in the army.
In particular, in 2025 on July 8, around 4:00 p.m., during a training exercise at the N Military Training Ground of the Ministry of Defense, an explosion of mortar fire was recorded, as a result of which there were casualties.
Regarding the case, on 08.07.2025, in the third garrison investigative department of the RA Criminal Investigation Department of the RA Criminal Code, part 1 of Article 532 (Violation of the rules for dealing with weapons, munitions, military equipment or other military property, materials, devices or objects posing the greatest danger to the environment) and Article 550 (Military official negligence) criminal proceedings were initiated.
We tried to find out from the RA Investigative Committee what was found out, whether the problem was only the violations of the rules, or was there also a problem related to the quality characteristics of weapons and ammunition?
“On July 8, 2025, in the case of causing physical injuries to servicemen as a result of a mortar fire explosion during a training session at the training ground of the N military unit of the RA Ministry of Defense, the criminal proceedings initiated under Article 532, Part 1 and Article 550, Part 1 of the RA Criminal Code have carried out the necessary evidentiary and other operational actions, experts have been appointed, which the conclusions have not been received yet. The investigation is ongoing,” said the CC’s reply.
Committee of Inquiry into 2026 Army Deaths
And since from the beginning of 2026 until now, several cases of death related to military service in the army have been recorded, not all of which the RA Ministry of Defense has disseminated a message about, perhaps there are objective reasons for this, in any case, we have also asked the RA Investigative Committee to provide statistics: how many deaths were related to military service in 2026, how many of them were murders and how many were suicides?
“Death of servicemen recorded in 2026 6 the incident was initiated in the main military investigative department of the RA Investigative Committee 6 criminal proceedings, of which 1-ը՝ According to Article 522 of the RA Criminal Code (causing a military serviceman to commit suicide by carelessness), 1-ը՝ Article 523 (making a military serviceman commit suicide), 3 o’clockwith Article 155 (murder), 1, according to part 3 of Article 532 (violating the rules of handling weapons, munitions, military equipment or other military property, materials, devices or objects that are more dangerous for the environment, which caused the death of a person through carelessness).
Moreover, Of the 3 murders, 1 of the criminal proceedings initiated under Article 155 is a case of sudden death, and 1 is a case of suicide, according to the preliminary data obtained during the preliminary investigation. the Investigative Committee informed us.
Let us add that earlier RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan had announced that in 2025, we had 6 death cases related to the service, of which 1 was due to lightning, 1 was due to electric shock, 2 was due to suicide, and 2 were due to health problems.
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Will Vladimir Zelensky visit Armenia?
April 27, 2026
On May 4, the 8th summit of the European Political Community will be held in Yerevan, in order to participate in which about 50 high-ranking delegations will arrive in Armenia at the level of the head of the country or organization.
On May 4 and 5, the inaugural RA-EU summit will be held in Yerevan, at which Armenia will be represented by Nikol Pashinyan, and the European Union will be represented by the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, together with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
French President Emmanuel Macron will also arrive in Armenia on a two-day visit to participate in the summit.
The sources of 168.am announced shortly before that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will also arrive in Armenia to participate in the summit, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia is still trying to keep the information about his visit a secret.
To remind, months ago, Ararat Mirzoyan announced that the Armenian side invited Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to participate in the summit.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov announced that Azerbaijan will not participate, adding that such a visit is not planned in Aliyev’s dense and full May agenda. Pashinyan expressed hope that Erdogan will accept their invitation.
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Iran-US negotiation impasse deepens. What has Iran offered to the US?
April 27, 2026
Iran-US negotiation impasse continues. Although neither the US nor Iran are in favor of resuming hostilities, due to which the conditional ceasefire continues, the negotiation process is failing. Despite this, behind-the-scenes negotiations and offers to each other continue.
Axios The online periodical, referring to two anonymous informed sources, writes that Iran offered the US to unblock the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, moving the negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program to a later stage. According to the publication, diplomacy has reached an impasse, and there is no unified opinion within the leadership of Iran regarding the possibility of making concessions on the issue of the nuclear program. “Iran’s proposal would have allowed to bypass that problem on the way to a faster conclusion of the deal,” the journalists note. “However, lifting the blockade and ending the war would deprive US President Donald Trump of leverage in further negotiations aimed at getting Iran to move its stockpiles of enriched uranium abroad and stop enriching it.” According to Axios sources, Trump intends to hold a meeting with the national security and foreign policy team on the issue of Iran on April 27. During the meeting, deadlocked negotiations and possible further steps will be discussed.
Pan-Arab Al Mayadeen according to the TV channel, the program proposed by Tehran looks like this:
- First stage: agreement on the cessation of war and the provision of security guarantees for Iran and Lebanon.
- Second stage: issues related to the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Third stage: Iran’s nuclear program.
According to the publication, Tehran refuses to discuss the last point until an agreement is reached on the previous two.
On April 26 to Fox News in an interview, Donald Trump made it clear that he intends to continue the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, due to which Iran’s oil exports have stopped. He hopes that this will force Tehran to make concessions in the coming weeks. Trump also announced that American envoys will no longer go to Pakistan for negotiations on Iran.
“If they want, we can talk, but we will not put people on the road for 18 hours for the meeting,” the US president summed up. A day ago, he canceled the visit of his envoys Steven Wittkoff and Jared Kushner to Islamabad. On the same day, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also left Pakistan. However, today IRI Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is on a visit to Moscow.
According to mass media, in Moscow he will discuss regional issues, including the Iranian-American conflict. Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian President, confirmed that Aragchi will also have a meeting with Vladimir Putin to discuss the progress of negotiations and the prospects of a ceasefire. Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi announced today that negotiations with the US have reached a dead end due to exaggerated demands and wrong approaches.
“Wrong approaches and exaggerated demands by the US have led to the fact that the previous round of negotiations, despite the recorded progress, could not achieve the set goals,” Araghchi said.
Russian analyst Vladimir Yevseyev 168.amtold that the difficult confrontation continues, none of the parties wants to make a big concession.
According to him, the main issue of the negotiations is the future fate of the enriched uranium, regarding which there were various proposals in the past, and now the US has made some proposals, offering to transfer it to another country.
“Tehran, most likely, before possible agreements on the nuclear issue, wants to get certain guarantees, that is the reason why a proposal consisting of three stages has been presented.
It is possible that the Iranian Foreign Minister’s visit to Moscow is directly related to all of this. I would like to remind that sometimes the issue of transporting enriched uranium to Russia was on the agenda of discussions, and Russia was ready to accept it. I think it is no coincidence that one of Iran’s main negotiators is visiting Russia during these discussions. Another important issue is that the US wants Iran to stop enriching uranium for 20 years, and Iran is not ready for this either. One of the problematic negotiation issues between the parties is the unblocking of Iranian assets. It is clear that the parties have set themselves the task of maintaining their own political red lines and “face”, but there is no war either desire to continue,” said Vladimir Yevseyev.
However, he believes that in case of failure, the US may try to use other pressure mechanisms.
“However, it should also be taken into account that domestic political developments are expected in the United States in the coming months, which limits the possibility of the US president’s long-term planning. Understanding this in Iran, they are trying to build their tactics,” he said.
Speaking from the South Caucasus, the analyst said that as long as the current situation continues, the South Caucasus will continue to be in a predictable geopolitical environment.
“Nevertheless, Iran’s tougher stance gives caution to all its neighbors, including Baku and Yerevan in the South Caucasus direction. It is still difficult to ignore Iran’s positions,” said Vladimir Yevseyev.
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Evidence and administrative actions are still being carried out. CC to Shushi
April 27, 2026
On April 18 168.amsent a written request to the RA Investigative Committee including questions related to the 44-day war.
Andranik Kocharyan, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security Affairs of the National Assembly, has stated on various occasions that the 44-day report will include thesethe answers to the questions about the weapons, which, in fact, happened.
168.am–Gegham Manukyan, deputy of the “Hayastan” faction, in a conversation with reported that the 44-day report refers to the acquisition of weapons and changes in acquisition plans, followed by an assessment of the consequences.
We also touched on this topic in September of last year in our “Subjective aspect of the Investigative Commission report. With the inscription “Following the facts”. in the article.
Moreover, we reported that Andranik Kocharyan’s several-page letter-analysis related to the Su-30s, which he presented to Pashinyan, and which was also mentioned in the investigative commission during Pashinyan’s interrogation, was also attached to the report.
But Andranik Kocharyan also stated on one occasion that there were wrong acquisitions of weapons, and he sent a huge package of information collected by the Investigative Commission to the Prosecutor General of RA, specifically referring to the “Osa-AK” anti-aircraft missile complexes.
168.amfrom the General Prosecutor’s Office had said that there is a criminal proceeding, but they did not give any other details.
And recently, Andranik Kocharyan noted that based on the report, the relevant bodies have actions to take, which they will still achieve.
Accordingly, through our survey, we tried to find out from the RA Investigative Committee first whether they received the 44-day report, whether criminal proceedings were initiated on the basis of the report or the materials provided by the Investigative Committee, including those related to whether the weapons were suitable or not.
In its response letter sent to us on April 27, the RA Investigative Committee informed that they did not receive a report or a conclusion of the investigative commission regarding the 44-day military operations of 2020.
We also sent the following questions in writing to the Chairman of the RA Investigative Committee, Artur Poghosyan.
– Is there currently a criminal case related to the episode of the well-known army counterattack operation on October 7, 2020, or is this episode of the war no longer or has it not become a subject of investigation after the termination of the criminal prosecution against the former commander of the Armed Forces Jalal Harutyunyan on the basis of acquittal? Did Nikol Pashinyan, former Director of the National Security Service and former Chairman of the Central Committee Argishti Kyaramyan, former Secretary of the Artsakh Council of Ministers Samvel Babayan, former Head of the General Staff Onik Gasparyan and other persons present at the discussion of that operation ever testify in connection with this war operation or episode?
– There were actions to take back Shushi in 2020. After November 7, has this circumstance become the subject of investigation, and within the scope of what case?
“In the main military investigative department of the Armenian Investigative Committee, extensive evidentiary and other procedural actions were carried out and continue to be carried out in the criminal proceedings initiated regarding the circumstances of the 44-day military operations of 2020, including a large number of witnesses were interrogated, appropriate expert opinions were appointed and received, as a result of which a number of criminal proceedings were sent to court with an indictment,” the Investigative Committee stated in response to our questions, adding that the basis adopting part 2 of Article 186 of the RA Criminal Procedure Code and According to the provisions of Article 8, Part 1, Clause 3 of the RA Law “On Freedom of Information”, it is not possible to provide information regarding the other questions, because they contain preliminary examination data that is not subject to publication.
In this context, let’s add that in 2025 the same Investigative Committee us had informed.
“The preliminary investigation of the criminal proceedings initiated in the case of the military counterattack carried out on October 7, 2020 continues.”
And what about 2020? to the actions that took place in the direction of Shushi after November 7, then in 2024 the Central Committee to the issue related to them had answerednoting:
“All directions of military operations during the 44-day war, including the events that took place in the direction of Shushi after November 7, 2020, are the subject of investigation in the framework of the criminal proceedings carried out in the Department of Investigation of Particularly Important Military Cases of the RA Investigative Committee’s Military Investigative Main Department regarding the cases of inaction of the authorities, showing negligent attitude towards service, refusing to perform certain duties of military service, and apparently other crimes against the order of military service.”
At the same time, the RA Investigative Committee reported that at that time the chairman of the RA Investigative Committee, Argishti Kyaramyan, “was not interrogated within the framework of the criminal proceedings against the military order, as well as other crimes related to the military operations under the conditions of martial law declared during the 44-day aggressive war of 2020.”
In his turn, Nikol Pashinyan stated at a meeting with journalists that in the context of the 44-day war was questioned.
It should be noted that, as of now, one case of Pashinyan’s questioning regarding the 44-day period is known. Still 3 years ago, according to the press publications, he as a witness was questioned During the 44-day war, a group of high-ranking Armenian officials committed a crime of abusing their official powers within the framework of the criminal proceedings.
Let’s add that The relatives of the victims submitted a demand to interrogate Pashinyan, who at that time were protesting in front of the government, general prosecutor’s office building.
Whether it should be assumed from the secrecy of the Investigative Committee that there are other criminal proceedings in the framework of which Pashinyan was questioned or may be questioned, time will tell.
For example, it is interesting: in what capacity did Pashinyan participate and approve the well-known counterattack operation, or in what capacity will he take Shushi back with a counterattack? ordered as Prime Minister or Commander-in-Chief?
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168: Remember, all of you, we are talking about partitioning Armenia. Pashinyan is dirty, man
April 27, 2026
Nikol Pashinyan’s April 24th address on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide is “dirty, bloody manipulation”. About this 168 TVof Revue mentioned on the air of the program RA First Defender of Human Rights, Executive Director of “Against Legal Arbitrariness” NGO, Specialist in International Human Rights Law Larisa Alaverdyancommenting on Nikol Pashinyan’s idea that “The Great Genocide is a consequence of involving the Armenian people in international intrigues”.
The specialist with long-term experience in lecturing emphasizes that he is very suspicious of all those people who could not even graduate from university.
“We know that the person holding the post of prime minister could not pass the relevant exams and graduate from the university, and I attribute many, many of his statements to that. Even if he quotes something, I always doubt whether he understood what he was quoting correctly.
Second, it has already been expressed to the top level addressee that he can get 10 diplomas in the specialty of political manipulation.
Not having a university education diploma, he is a great master of manipulative technologies. If there was such a university, he would definitely graduate with honors. Now it is manipulation and that manipulation has a name. It is dirty, bloody manipulation. You know, Genocide scholars are among the most serious scholars. Most of them have historical, philosophical or political education.
Genocide studies are not done by random people. Genocide experts have one mission: to warn and prevent new genocides, and it is no coincidence that they already call the persons who try to come up with such statements to be processed. It’s called ‘victim targeting’, putting the blame on the victim.” commented Larisa Alaverdyan.
The human rights defender added.
“Nikol Pashinyan’s statement as one of the proud citizens of RA and one of the 3 million prime ministers is null and void. It speaks only about the political power he leads and his own delusions or purposeful manipulations, which are full of bloody consequences. I myself completely condemn, I do not agree with anyone who tries to revise the 111-year work of genocide scholars.
The first ombudsman of Armenia reminds that the organizers of the Armenian Genocide, Taleat, Enver, Cemal, were tried by the Turkish court, and it is not Nikol Pashinyan who should explain today what happened in 1915.
Larisa Alaverdyan also reminded how the Entente powers – England, France, Russia – fought in 1915. on May 24 The joint declaration about the massacre of Armenians, where for the first time mass murders of Armenians are given the wording “crime against humanity”, as well as the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which clearly defines the crime of genocide.
“It is very clearly written in that judgment that it was for the purposeful destruction and depatriation of Armenians and other Christians by nationality. So many things can be remembered from the events of those years, but it is known that the Armenian community of the Ottoman Empire participated in the First World War by the Ottoman army, and such a statement has a premeditated nature, and to reason here that he is illiterate is very little.
He does not like to work with documents and judges from the position of Turkish denial policy. Today, the person who cannot publish the surnames of the soldiers who died during the Forty-four Day War demands to print the surnames of one and a half million killed victims, what do you want after that? It is a form of dirty manipulation. This is dirty, bloody manipulation. Why bloody?
Genocide experts make it clear that such attempts, as well as denial and concealment of crimes, and this is such an attempt, are also a crime because it contributes to the realization of new genocides. In other words, the genocidal act that took place in Artsakh in 2020-23 is not enough for that person. He is clearly ready to serve other genocides against Armenians.” Larisa Alaverdyan mentioned.
According to the human rights defender, Pashinyan’s statement is a dirty and bloody manipulation, because it is fraught with great danger, that is, it encourages Azerbaijan and Turkey to continue the genocide with the old or new “hybrid” methods.
In this context, Larisa Alaverdyan warns: “we have been invaded from the inside”.
“Our task is to fight to get rid of this occupied state. This is a liberation struggle. Remember, all of you, we are talking about partitioning Armenia.” declared the human rights defender.
Let us remind that on April 24, Nikol Pashinyan with a message spoke on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, expressing a number of controversial thoughts and trying under the title of commemorating the innocent victims of the Armenian Genocide, in fact, to advance his well-known propaganda views on the revision of history, national issues being an instrument of influence in the hands of great powers, “peace” being a guarantee of not allowing the repetition of the Genocide, the identity of the state and the homeland, putting forward ideas reminiscent of the Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide. theses and evaluations. To put it more simply, in Nikol Pashinyan’s message there is no mention of Turkey’s responsibility or guilt for the crime of the Armenian Genocide.
In particular, at the beginning of the text, Nikol Pashinyan says that on April 24, “we commemorate the victims of the Armenian Genocide, the Great Genocide, and pay tribute to our compatriots who were massacred, deported and starved in the Ottoman Empire for being Armenians”, but it is not mentioned who were the organizers of the genocide and who are their successors today. And the mention of famine, epidemics, and diseases in itself reminds of Turkish denialism, attempts to attribute the deliberate killing of more than 1.5 million Armenians, the genocide, to some “unfortunate accidents” or “diseases”.
Secondly, referring to the volume of Armenian history published by the NAS History Institute, Nikol Pashinyan claims that it is well documented that “the Great Genocide is a consequence of the practice of involving the Armenian people in international conspiracies”. Nikol Pashinyan himself insists that “we have understood that the Great Genocide cannot be allowed to become a tool for international players to fight against each other.” From this, a logical question arises, whether Nikol Pashinyan is trying to lead the issue of the Armenian Genocide to his excuses, that it was “a noose around our necks”, and therefore, we should get rid of it.
In addition, Nikol Pashinyan claims in the address that the greatest desire of the Armenian people is to have a state and peace, which has been realized, and the state and peace are the guarantee that the Armenian Genocide will not happen again. In this context, he calls to “stop the search for a homeland outside the internationally recognized 29,743 square kilometers of our state, the Republic of Armenia.”
Full interview in the video.
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RFE/RL – Photo Exclusive: Cathedral, Church Demolished In Nagorno-Karabakh
Photo Exclusive: Cathedral, Church Demolished In Nagorno-Karabakh
April 27, 2026 17:37 CET
- By Amos Chapple and
- Mark Krutov
The cathedral of the largest city in Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region has been demolished, RFE/RL can confirm through satellite imagery made on April 26.
Reports that the Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Khankendi had been destroyed emerged in Armenian media in mid-April, but no clear recent imagery showing the site was available until now.
Construction of the cathedral in Khankendi — a city known by Armenians as Stepanakert — began in 2006, and the site was consecrated in 2019.
As well as serving as the city’s main site of worship, its basement was repurposed as a bomb shelter during the conflicts with Azerbaijani forces that broke out in the 2020s.
Along with the cathedral, imagery sourced by RFE/RL confirms the Church of St. Jacob, another major Christian site in the city, has also been erased in recent weeks.
The Church of St. Jacob was completed in 2007 and was funded by an Armenian-American philanthropist in memory of his deceased son.
Armenia’s Orthodox church authorities on April 23 accused Azerbaijan of “deliberately target[ing] Armenian Christian holy sites, seeking to erase the Armenian presence,” from Nagorno-Karabakh. The church alleged cross stones in the grounds surrounding the demolished Church of St. Jacob have also been destroyed.
Elnare Akimova, a member of Azerbaijan’s parliament, told RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani service on April 22 that claims of the churches’ destruction are “a provocation by revanchist forces” to harm Baku’s image.
Akimova further claimed that her country “has preserved religious and historic monuments on its territories as a state policy. It has never had any intention to destroy any religious heritage.”
On April 24, RFE/RL spoke to a staff member at a hotel located a few meters from the cathedral. The man initially told RFE/RL by telephone he did not have any information about the status of the cathedral, then said that “everything around the hotel is present” before claiming the cathedral was still in place.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
A social media post (above) from early February shows a construction-type fence surrounding the cathedral. It is believed the building was demolished by early April.
More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding territories amid a series of military offensives launched by Baku that culminated in Azerbaijan’s full recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023.
The military campaigns followed decades of de-facto ethnic Armenian control of the territory and surrounding areas following the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.
The reports of the latest Christian sites destroyed in Nagorno-Karabakh have sparked controversy ahead of Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections as critics accuse Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian of failing to address the issue. Pashinian told reporters his government is working to get complete information on the matter but called for “prudence” in such cases.
“I do not think that, taking into account our previous experience, we will make this a subject of international discussions at the state level,” he said.
https://www.rferl.org/a/cathedral-church-demolished-nagorno-karabakh-azerbaijan-armenia-conflict/33743489.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawRdJbhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe3LbUtmPWg7xNjcE-RUdjKue4WevT2UfUhMWId4sd1NN45dVZzIs5JYeVZfI_aem_cWqlfWhTTUh4cpkWmaGfRA
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RFE/RL – Another Karapetian Ally Arrested
- Naira Bulghadarian
Yet another political ally of billionaire Samvel Karapetian was arrested on Monday in a continuing crackdown on his opposition movement seen as the ruling Civil Contract party’s main challenger in Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections.
The Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC) charged Artur Avanesian, a senior member of Karapetian’s Strong Armenia alliance, with illegally promising “a number of citizens” jobs and other benefits if they vote for it.
Nicknamed Kandaz, Avanesian is a retired senior army officer and a prominent veteran of the wars in Nagorno-Karabakh. The ACC publicized the audio a wiretapped phone call in which he purportedly tells another Karabakh-born man that he will be hired by the Armenian military if Strong Armenia comes to power. The law-enforcement also detained three other persons. It did not identify them.
Another Strong Armenia figure, Arega Hovsepian, said Avanesian denies vote-buying accusations levelled against him.
“For 30 years, [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev failed to arrest Kandaz,” she said. “Now that is done by Armenia’s authorities.”
“This is making us even stronger. They can’t break us,” added Hovsepian.
In her words, investigators did not confiscate anything during a search conducted at Avanesian’s Yerevan apartment. It was not clear whether the ACC will seek court permission to hold him in detention pending investigation.
Another law-enforcement agency, the Investigative Committee, said earlier in the day that it has charged four members of a family in a village in the northern Shirak province with paying local residents cash to attend a Strong Armenia rally held in Yerevan on April 11. One of them was placed under house arrest. Karapetian’s bloc did not comment on that case.
The arrests were the latest in a series of criminal proceedings targeting Karapetian’s allies and supporters in the run-up to the June 7 parliamentary elections. They come amid speculation that the Armenian government is preparing the ground for Strong Armenia’s disqualification from the ballot.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian was accused by critics of planning to secure an election victory through fraud or foul play when it emerged in December that his administration requested election-related assistance from the European Union. The EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, revealed that Yerevan is seeking the kind of “help to fight foreign malign interference” which the EU provided to Moldova ahead of parliamentary elections held there in September 2025. Two Moldovan opposition parties deemed pro-Russian were barred from participating in the elections won by the country’s pro-Western leadership.
Karapetian, 60, has mostly lived in Russia since the early 1990s and has a dual Russian nationality. Pashinian’s political allies have accused the tycoon of plotting to topple the Armenian government on the Kremlin’s orders ever since he entered politics following his controversial arrest last June.
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