Month: April 2026

Russia continues its attempts to disrupt and interfere with democracies in its neighbourhood. Learning from its failure in its attempt in the latest parliamentary elections in Moldova, Russia shifted its focus to the upcoming parliamentary elections in Armenia – and this time with a head start, nearly a year before elections are set to take place. Russia tested the ground throughout the winter, seeding hostile narratives against the current Armenian authorities and candidates,rehashing messaging attacking the country’s cooperation and rapprochement with the EU. Now, with the 7 June parliamentary elections firmly in sight, the Russian Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) machine has been unleashed.

Lessons from Moldova

Just as in Moldova, the Kremlin is using its FIMI machine to threaten, deceive and influence the Armenian population, interfering in a sovereign state’s democratic process. It does so through a number of well-known techniques and tactics:

1. Threaten the population: In Moldova, the Kremlin used for instance its war on Ukraine to instill fear among Moldovan citizens, claiming NATO troops will annex Transnistria and drag Moldova into the war. Likewise, Russian famous propagandist and TV host Vladimir Solovyov in early January threatened Armenia and Central Asian states with a special military operation during one of his online live shows. According to him, if Russia justified launching a “special military operation” in Ukraine on security grounds, it could do the same elsewhere. His other similar shows are broadcasted on state television and are considered as Russia’s top-rated daily political talk show.
2. Attack disobedient candidates: Once the candidates are known, Moscow decides whom it will support and whom it wants down, unleashing lies, rumours and conspiracy theories supported by a flood of AI-generated content. In Moldova, President Maia Sandu was allegedly ‘trafficking children’(opens in a new tab). In Armenia, smear campaigns, which were amplified online, accused(opens in a new tab) Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, and other government officials of… ‘child sex trafficking’(opens in a new tab). The Prime Minister was also accused(opens in a new tab) of buying a house in France worth several million euros, owning some real estate in UAE or of importing radioactive waste from France to bury it in Armenia.
3. Blame democratic process and the EU: Coming in at a later stage of the election interference scheme, the Kremlin’s disinformation infosphere targets local institutions, the electoral process or international partnerships with accusations of ‘rigged elections’ and ‘interference’, to either mobilise the pro-Russian electorate or dissuade pro-democracy voters. The narrative is launched a few weeks before election day, when opinion polls give more visibility on the prospects of Russia’s favourite candidates.

The ‘EU Interference” allegations

This “election interference” narrative is unfolding against a backdrop of shifting geopolitical conditions that have made the Kremlin’s position uncomfortable and may have provided additional motivation for Moscow to step up its information manipulation against the EU in Armenia.

This might explain the Russian Foreign Ministry’s repeated efforts to reinforce the narrative to the alleged ‘EU interference in Armenia’. While the EU and Armenia have started long-term cooperation on countering hybrid threats in the framework of their Political and Security Dialogue, Russia opportunistically dismisses and distorts the EU-Armenia partnership through official channels(opens in a new tab), supported by coordinated amplification and multilingual cross-platform posting from aligned(opens in a new tab) channels(opens in a new tab) such as Rybar(opens in a new tab) and the(opens in a new tab) Pravda(opens in a new tab) network(opens in a new tab), along with some other actors in the region close to the Kremlin propaganda efforts.

Russia’s response to democracy

On 4 March 2026 and again on 1 April, in response to Armenia and EU cooperation to counter hybrid threats, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova offered(opens in a new tab) to send a Russian “rapid response task force” to Armenia, claiming(opens in a new tab) that Russia – “contrary to the EU” – has the necessary expertise(opens in a new tab) in electoral procedures to assist the country. And indeed, Russia has significant electoral expertise when it comes to poison political opponents, close independent media, intimidate civil society organisations, shut down social media platforms, manipulate information, and ban international election observation missions. Finally, in what sounded like a warning, she reminded Armenia is member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and not a member of the EU.

Armenians alone should choose their country’s future and not put before a choice framed by Moscow. They deserve to make their choice based on organic information, free from manipulation, intimidation and fear.

Photo Exclusive: Cathedral, Church Demolished In Nagorno-Karabakh

World’s oldest Christian nation is under attack by prime minister

Ruling Party in Armenia Releases Anti-Church Platform 

Ahead of the June elections, Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract Party has published a political platform that calls for the removal of the Catholicos of All Armenians and outlines a politically led roadmap for restructuring the Armenian Apostolic Church.  

This unprecedented move, critics say, represents a direct violation of the country’s constitution and a dramatic escalation in state interference in religious affairs. 

The program, released ahead of upcoming elections, lists as its 10th political objective the removal of the “de facto head” of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, a reference to Catholicos Karekin II. Notably, the document avoids using his ecclesiastical title, instead referring to him in diminished terms that observers say reflect a broader effort to undermine both the office and the institution. 

Beyond leadership change, the party platform proposes a series of sweeping church reforms, including the appointment of a Catholicos Locum Tenens, the drafting of a new church charter, and the eventual election of a new Catholicos under revised structures. The proposed charter would introduce mechanisms for financial oversight and clerical discipline — areas traditionally governed internally by the church. 

Legal experts and religious freedom advocates warn that such proposals constitute direct political interference in a religious body’s internal governance. Armenia’s constitution both recognizes the Armenian Apostolic Church’s unique role in national life and enshrines the principle of separation between church and state. 

This dual framework is further reinforced by the 2007 law on church-state relations, which explicitly recognizes the church’s right to self-governance. Critics argue that any attempt by a political party to predetermine leadership changes or impose structural reforms violates these protections. 

Recent History of Tensions 

The development marks the latest flashpoint in an ongoing conflict between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government and the Armenian Apostolic Church. During the past year, tensions have escalated significantly, with the government becoming increasingly hostile in its efforts to curtail the church’s independence.  

Earlier this year, Armenian prosecutors opened a criminal case against Catholicos Karekin II. In addition to the criminal charges, the Catholicos was also banned from traveling abroad, according to lawyer Ara Zohrabyan. The timing of the ban coincides with a major assembly of Armenian bishops scheduled to meet in Austria that week and prevented the Catholicos from attending despite his ecclesiastical role as head of the Apostolic Church. 

For many Armenians, the stakes extend beyond legal concerns. More than 90% of the population identifies with the Armenian Apostolic Church, which has long served as a cornerstone of national identity, particularly through periods of foreign domination and genocide. 

Historically, attempts to exert political control over the church have been associated with external powers, including the Soviet authorities, which sought to limit religious influence. Critics warn that the current proposals echo those earlier efforts, raising alarm about the future of religious freedom in the country. 

Perhaps most concerning, analysts note, is the way the policy is embedded within a broader electoral platform. Because the church-related measures are only one part of a wide-ranging political agenda addressing economic and social issues, voters may not fully register their implications. 

If the ruling party secures an electoral victory, it could later claim a public mandate to implement the proposed changes, including intervention in church governance — despite the absence of explicit public debate on the issue. 

As Armenia approaches its next election, the inclusion of such measures signals a potentially transformative moment for the country’s democratic institutions and its historic church — one that could redefine the boundaries between political authority and religious autonomy. 

https://persecution.org/2026/04/27/ruling-party-in-armenia-releases-anti-church-platform/

GLENDALE, Calif. – In Glendale, art can meet you at the curb. It can wrap a utility box in color. It can turn a crosswalk into pattern and memory. It can rise across a church wall in saints, scripture and gold. 

For artist Arpine Shakhbandaryan, those public works grow from a much older source, the Armenian tradition of illuminated manuscripts, a form she has spent years studying, practicing and translating into the life of a modern city.

Her path began with encouragement at Glendale High School, where a teacher saw her ability early. “She actually told me that I had a talent for art,” Shakhbandaryan says. That push led her to private lessons in Glendale at the Atanian Art Center, where another decisive moment followed. 

“He introduced me to the Armenian illuminated manuscript art,” she says of artist and teacher Vladimir Atanian. “He gave me my first gold leaf. And that’s where I created one of my well-known pieces, which is Saint Etchmiadzin. So, it really started from there.”

The art form she embraced reaches back centuries. Armenian illuminated manuscripts date to the fifth century, the Golden Age of Armenian literature, when artists created miniature illustrations, decorated initials and ornate borders around Gospel texts and other works. 

Shakhbandaryan has drawn that language into the present through paintings, commissions, calligraphy and public art. Her work includes trchnakir, or bird letters, a traditional Armenian style in which letters take the shape of birds.

She describes the process with the care of someone who knows every step by touch. “To illuminate is to adorn with gold leaf,” she says. “The work starts first with the pencil drawing. Then I apply special leaf glue with a paintbrush to the areas that will be golden. Then comes the process called gilding, applying the thin sheet of foil to the surface. This must be done carefully and gently.” After the gold leaf is applied, the excess is brushed away, leaving the luminous surface that gives the work its glow. Then the rest of the painting takes shape in watercolor.

For Shakhbandaryan, illumination carries spiritual weight as well as beauty. Much of her work reflects Armenian history, churches, the Armenian alphabet and the homeland itself. “My faith is the foundation of my work,” she says. “My art is a gift and blessing from God. Through my work, I want others to see the beauty and love He is creating all around us.”

She first painted in this style at 18, choosing the Armenian alphabet for her first illumination. “I asked Professor Atanian how to do the gold technique,” she says. “When he gave me the glue, gold, and a very fine brush, I felt privileged and honored.” She later studied books on Armenian manuscripts from the seventh through 12th centuries and visited museums in Los Angeles to study illuminations in person.

Her formal education widened her range. At the University of Southern California, she worked in oil, acrylic and other media, and later earned a degree in biology with a minor in fine arts before continuing into graduate study in public health. Still, she kept returning to illuminated manuscript art. 

“I did do oil, acrylic, and other forms of art in college,” she says. “I went to USC and I was able to experiment with different forms, but my passion and the one that I continue to refine and continue to work on is the illuminated manuscript style.” She adds, “I am drawn to the detail. The letters initially, the alphabet letters, you can manipulate them in many ways.”

That sense of movement and possibility helps explain why the form travels so naturally through her public work.

Over the past two decades, Shakhbandaryan has contributed to eight public art projects, seven of them in Glendale, including a large mural, five utility box designs and a creative crosswalk installation. The city’s arts and public works programs created openings for artists to turn everyday surfaces into shared visual space. Shakhbandaryan says that work matters because it reaches people where they live. 

“It’s bringing people together and bringing different art forms together,” she says. “That’s why I really love applying for those public artworks.”

She still remembers the excitement when Glendale first opened the utility box program. “They told me we’re going to celebrate the city of Glendale, and we’re going to let you paint the utility boxes; and you can do whatever you want as long as it’s celebrating the city of Glendale,” she says. That invitation helped place her work in corners of the city where residents pass it on errands, on walks and on the way home.

One of her best-known pieces, “Glendale in Bloom,” turns a utility box into a bouquet built from civic symbols and sister city ties. The design includes the Glendale hibiscus, the California poppy and the American rose, alongside the forget me not of Armenia, the Bayahibe rose of the Dominican Republic, the cherry blossom of Japan, the dahlia of Mexico, the jasmine of the Philippines and the hibiscus of South Korea. Jacaranda branches and peacocks tie the piece back to Glendale. 

Shakhbandaryan describes the work almost as if she is arranging the bouquet in real time: “All of these flowers are coming together in this bouquet. And there’s the jacaranda branches, which is the official City of Glendale tree, and the peacocks are sitting on the branches, and it’s just wrapping around the utility box.”

Another public piece reaches deeper into her own family history. Her “Jewel City Rug” crosswalk on West Broadway draws from Armenian rug design and from an heirloom woven by her grandmother nearly a century ago. 

“I love rugs,” she says. “It’s very an ancient form of not only for homes as a functional item, but it also tells stories. Rugs were used to weave community stories.” 

She connects that tradition directly to her family. “My grandmother, Aghafni Shakwandarian, she wove a rug. So now being 100 years ago, that I have. It’s an heirloom that my father passed on to me. And I wanted to kind of tell the story of Glendale in that form. I wanted it to be art. I wanted two symbols to be geometric. But I also wanted the rug feeling to come through.”

That impulse, to place inherited memory in public view, also shapes her largest work. At St. Peter Armenian Church and Youth Ministries Center, she completed a mural of roughly 1,000 square feet that took months of sustained labor. 

The mural includes St. Peter with his keys, Saints Hripsime and Gayane, the cathedral of St. Gayane, angels, the Holy Spirit as a dove, Jesus walking with an Armenian family, and the tree of life and knowledge rendered in illuminated manuscript style. 

“The mural represents the story of love,” she says. “Jesus taught love to his disciples. That message passed through St. Peter, then to St. Hripsime and St. Gayane, and ultimately to the Armenian people.”

She speaks about the labor in plain terms. “I worked on it for six months, for day and night,” she says. “Probably I would say six days out of the week, I took a break on Sunday service. And it was completed.”

Throughout her work, Shakhbandaryan returns to the same idea: joy shared in public becomes a form of connection. “If it brings them joy, when the artwork brings them joy, they celebrate together,” she says. “And that’s part of being together.”

In Glendale, that feeling lives on walls, sidewalks and street corners. Ancient Armenian forms move through a modern city. Gold leaf still catches the light. And Shakhbandaryan’s work gives that light a place to land.

Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra To Perform 14 Concerts Across Five Major European Cultural Centers