Author: Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS

Verelq: Pre-election lists are being reformulated in KP

Emil Lazarian

“Hraparak” daily writes:


Although the nomination phase for the June 7 elections has begun, the ruling “City Agreement” is still discussing its pre-election list and it is possible to make some changes to the already published version. The first 50 numbers are considered “untouchable”.


By the way, the law requires that the first 30 must be approved at the congress, but the department has decided that they can make transfers among those after 50. In the second 50, the change can be made by the CP department, and after the 100, they decided that Pashinyan will decide who will be where.


According to the results of the CP internal elections, many well-known CP members and MPs have appeared in the back ranks, although their potential and knowledge are incomparably different from the so-called leaders. One, for example, is the current Chairman of the NA Social Affairs Committee, Heriknaz Tigranyan, in 96th place, or Maria Karapetyan and others.


According to our information, the list of the ruling power will be finalized by April 17.

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The reality of the Strait of Hormuz differs from Pentagon reports

Emil Lazarian

As it was assumed, the American naval blockade of Iran is not so effective.


Despite the official statement by the US that 6 ships could not overcome the blockade, according to the results of the “BBC” fact check, 4 ships sailing under the flags of different countries and connected to Iranian ports, which are also under US sanctions, passed through the Strait of Hormuz.


According to Al-Jazeera, one ship belonging to China and under US sanctions also passed through the strait.


Parallel to all this, various announcements about the possibility of a new round of Iran-US negotiations with the mediation of Pakistan have been activated, but there is no clear agreement at the moment.


Iranologist Vardan Voskanyan




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The RA rescue service presented a summary on the condition of the roads

Emil Lazarian

The rescue service informs that the roads in the territory of RA are mostly passable.


The highways leading from “Amberd” high mountain meteorological station to Amberd Castle and Kari Lake in Aragatsotn Marz are closed.


Vardenyats mountain pass, Gorayk-Zanger in Syunik marz, Saravan-Zanger highways in Vayots Dzor marz, and sections of Gyumri-Bavra highway in Shirak marz, Vardaghbyur settlement, are difficult for trailer trucks.


Drivers are urged to drive exclusively with winter tires.


According to the information received from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the Crisis Management Center of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Ossetia, the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is closed only for trucks with trailers.

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The World Bank delegation was hosted by the Minister of Justice

Emil Lazarian

Deputy Minister of Justice Oksanna Abrahamyan received the delegation of the World Bank within the framework of the fourth State Sector Modernization Program and the technical assistance implemented to ensure digitization opportunities in the South Caucasus.


Heads of the World Bank working group, Arman Vatyan and Khurram Farouk, headed the delegation.


The parties summarized the developments recorded in the current phase of the project, referring to the work done after the previous mission and the progress of the planned steps.


During the meeting, reference was made to the process of modernization of the system of the state register of legal entities, the measures implemented within the framework of the approved concept of digitization of the National Archives, as well as the already implemented and ongoing works.


Oksanna Abrahamyan emphasized the cooperation formed with the World Bank, emphasizing that it has a significant role in deepening the digitization processes of the Ministry, increasing the efficiency of management and introducing modern data-based solutions.

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Asbarez: Ardashes ‘Ardy’ Kassakhian Selected as Mayor of Glendale

Emil Lazarian
by Contributor

 

 April 15, 2026

 

in Featured Story, Latest, News, Top Stories

Ardy Kassakhian named Mayor of Glendale on Apr. 14

GLENDALE – Glendale City Councilmember Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian was selected to serve as the City’s Mayor at the April 14 City Council meeting. He will succeed outgoing Mayor Ara Najarian and assume the Mayorship role at the April 21 meeting of City Council.

This marks Kassakhian’s second term as Mayor, following his first year in the role in 2022–2023. A longtime Glendale resident and dedicated public servant, Mayor Kassakhian brings decades of institutional knowledge and community leadership to the position.

A product of Glendale public schools and a resident since 1986, Mayor Kassakhian previously served as Glendale’s elected City Clerk for 15 years before being elected to the City Council. His public service career has been defined by a strong commitment to transparent government, civic engagement and accessibility, and resident engagement.

Throughout his public service career, Mayor Kassakhian has held a number of state, regional, and local leadership roles. He was appointed by the California Senate Rules Committee to serve on the California New Motor Vehicle Board, where he served in multiple leadership capacities, including as board’s President. Secretary of State Alex Padilla also appointed him to the Language Accessibility Advisory Committee to help increase voter participation.

Mayor Kassakhian currently serves on the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board of Directors and is an alternate representative to the Arroyo Verdugo Communities Joint Powers Authority. Most recently he has been elected to the Southern California Association of Governments Regional Council representing District 42, where he helps shape transportation, housing, and sustainability policy across the region. He also teaches Political Science as an adjunct instructor at Glendale Community College.

“It is my hope that we continue working toward a culture of respect and purpose—where differing viewpoints are shared constructively, and where the Council chamber reflects not only our differences, but our collective commitment to the city we serve,” said Mayor Kassakhian. “As Mayor, my role is not to assert authority, but to foster meaningful dialogue, guide thoughtful decision-making, and help set a tone grounded in accountability.”

“Mayor Kassakhian brings deep knowledge of Glendale’s history, strong regional relationships, and a thoughtful approach to governance. I look forward to working together in the year ahead as we continue advancing the City’s priorities and delivering exceptional service to our community,” said City Manager Roubik Golanian.

Mayor Kassakhian graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in History and received his Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University. He also attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he completed the Certificate Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, and was a Coro Public Affairs Fellow.

Mayor Kassakhian and his wife, Courtney, live in the Pelanconi neighborhood of Glendale with their son.

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168: The only way to remove Pashinyan

Emil Lazarian

April 15, 2026

In the pre-election period, there is everything and a lot, except honesty and truth. With increasing pathos, honesty fades, truth becomes obscenely absent.

Everyone wins in the race of dishonesty and untruth, from the government to the opposition. The loser, as always, is the society, and the account of the defeat, as always, is closed at the expense of the state, already at the expense of the crumbs left from the state.

The death of honesty towards people these days takes place in the interval between the confidence of the authorities to win a crushing victory and the opposition’s promises to give the government an equally crushing defeat.

The impossibility of simultaneous fulfillment of both promises forces ordinary people to be honest at least about their disgust with politics, which, while honest, is an irresponsible and anti-civic position. In the sense of leaving the state to the ravages of those who settled accounts with honesty.

Read also

  • The youth of Armenia have understood that the government is depriving them of the right to dream. Karen Kocharian
  • RPA will continue the uncompromising struggle, supporting the real opposition forces, the national agenda. Tigran Abrahamyan
  • CP party’s security concept. normative illusion and strategic vulnerability

And the problem isn’t just the perverse dose of dishonesty with ordinary people that pours from the lips of politicians and other technological outlets. Most of those people are self-deluded and believe that the lyricism of their speeches and the rabbi’s attempt to appear national will lead the government to self-defeat.

That is, many are dishonest not out of spite, but out of public dishonesty sublimated from being dishonest with oneself. But that is no excuse, because insanity cannot be sold as a mitigating circumstance in politics. Although also sold due to dishonesty of policy buyers.

But whatever the motivation, dishonest politics with promises to save the country is not a particularly manly occupation. And there is only one chance to stop the already unstoppable course of dishonesty, which all oppositions, individually and collectively, can turn to.

Many parties are participating in the elections, but the main contenders, excluding the CP, are three or four. Everyone declares that they are participating in the elections to remove the CP from power, adding in parallel, quite rightly, that otherwise Armenia is doomed to guaranteed destruction.

No nominal problem with integrity so far. But it can be honest with honesty only if all the members of the lists of all the opposition forces, without exception, publicly sign a statement that if KP and Nikol Pashinyan are not removed from power after the elections, all of them, without exception, will not take the parliamentary mandates, but the necessary supplies to stay on the street until the unconditional change of power, which will fit in a conditional backpack.

Only then, instead of leaving the state to the oppressors of the truth every day, the society can go after those who will demonstrate in practice that their goal is not the mandate, but to deprive the CP of its mandate.

Otherwise, people will pack not their backpacks, but their emigration suitcases to leave for places where there is no more honesty, but at least the cheaters are not their own relatives. And at the expense of saving the cheated, they don’t try to fit into the folds of the government, against which they organize performances to fight, especially before the elections.

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168: The youth of Armenia has understood that the government is depriving them of a dream

Emil Lazarian

April 15, 2026

168TVof “Trigger” the guest of the program civil technologist Karen Kocharyan is:

During the conversation, the upcoming elections in Armenia, the political technologies used by the authorities, the reaction of the youth to the ongoing processes, pre-election promises, possible trump cards of various political forces, as well as the necessary changes and problems during the election campaign were discussed.

Hayk Derzyan




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I’ll tell you in a few days – Samvel Karapetyan on his chances of winning the

Emil Lazarian
Aysor, Armenia
April 15 2026

“I’ll tell you in a few days,” the leader of the “Strong Armenia” party, Samvel Karapetyan, told reporters after leaving the court, responding to a question about how he assesses his chances of winning the elections.

It should be noted that the court hearing in Karapetyan’s case has been postponed and is scheduled to resume on April 17.

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The death of a soldier in Armenia has resulted in a criminal case.

Emil Lazarian
Caucasian Knot
April 15 2026
The death of a soldier in Armenia has resulted in a criminal case.

Soldier Narek Hakobyan died in Armenia from a gunshot wound. An investigation into the incident has been launched under the article on incitement to suicide.

As reported by the “Caucasian Knot,” human rights activists stated in October 2024 that the proportion of non-combat casualties among Armenian soldiers has risen to 90%. They called on the state to pay more attention to crime and suicide prevention in the army.

On April 14, serviceman Narek Hakobyan died in Armenia. An investigation has been launched to clarify the circumstances of the incident, Novosti-Armenia reports, citing agency press secretary Aram Torosyan.

According to media reports, the incident occurred at a military unit’s training ground. 19-year-old Narek Hakobyan received a gunshot wound and died en route to a military hospital, News.am writes.

The Investigative Committee of Armenia has launched an investigation under Part 1 of Article 523 of the Criminal Code (incitement to suicide). Investigators have ordered forensic examinations, the publication reports.

05:41 31.12.2025Researchers report non-combat losses in Azerbaijani security forcesIrrecoverable losses in Azerbaijani security forces in the past year amounted to 42 people, all of them died in non-combat conditions, the Caspian Institute of Military research.
As a reminder, on April 3, it was also reported that an explosion occurred at a military training ground in the Armavir region, resulting in the death of a 29-year-old contract soldier and the injury of a 39-year-old soldier. A criminal case has been opened under the article on negligence of a military official resulting in death.

The increase in non-combat casualties among military personnel has repeatedly raised questions for the Armenian authorities. The authorities and the ombudsman must address the issue of peacetime military deaths, the parents of fallen soldiers stated in November 2023.

In February 2022, participants in a discussion in Yerevan stated that the increase in non-combat casualties in military units indicates systemic problems in the Armenian army. At the same time, according to them, the authorities refuse to involve civil society activists in addressing the problem.

Two years earlier, in February 2020, human rights activists stated that the principles of a criminal environment and a climate of impunity have taken root in the Armenian armed forces, which contribute to hazing practices.

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Russia reopens case against Armenia’s Jermuk water amid tensions with Yerevan

Emil Lazarian
OC Media
April 15 2026

A criminal case regarding the death of North Ossetian man Oleg Gusov, who reportedly died in 2024 after drinking contaminated mineral water from the Armenian company Jermuk, has been reopened in Russia. The revival of the case comes amidst renewed tensions between Armenia and Russia.

The case was reopened at an unspecified date in March, but was only announced on 10 April.

Without disclosing further details, the Russian Investigative Committee’s department in North Ossetia said that the resumption of the case came ‘due to newly discovered circumstances’.

It also acknowledged that the preliminary investigation previously was suspended, as ‘it was not possible to identify those involved in the crime’.

The Investigative Committee, in collaboration with the Federal Security Service (FSB) in North Ossetia, ‘are currently conducting investigative actions and operational-search activities aimed at collecting and consolidating evidence’, the statement said.

The case concerns the death of 65-year-old Gusov, allegedly after drinking contaminated Jermuk mineral water on 11 February 2024 at his home, having previously purchased it from a retail outlet in Vladikavkaz. His health subsequently deteriorated, and he later died following hospitalisation. Reports indicated that Gusov died as a result of consuming acetic acid that ‘could have ended up in the bottle as a result of a violation of the technological process’.

North Ossetian family sues Armenia’s Jermuk waters for $15 million over wrongful death

Following the incident, Jermuk was sanctioned in Russia, with restrictions later being lifted after inspections. At the time, the Jermuk Group dismissed accusations that the bottle contained vinegar instead of mineral water.

In January 2025, as Armenia–Russia relations entered a new round of crises, following Yerevan’s approval of a draft law that would see the commencement of Armenia’s EU negotiations, Gusov’s family filed a lawsuit for ₽1.5 billion ($15 million) against the Armenian manufacturer, as well as its representative and distributors in Russia.

Following reports on the reopening of the case, Armenian media outlet ArmLur on Tuesday published a statement from the company’s legal department.

It noted that since the launch of the criminal case against Jermuk following Gusov’s death, ‘no employee of Jermuk Group has been involved in the criminal case as a suspect or an accused, and no charges have been brought’.

‘Which indicates that there are no claims or suspicions from the investigative authorities against Jermuk Group CJSC or its employees’, the statement read.

It further noted that the Gusov family’s claims against the company had been ‘fully rejected’ by the Sovetsky District Court of Vladikavkaz in December 2025. The ruling was later appealed, but was dismissed by the Supreme Court of North Ossetia on 10 April.

Asked about the case among other economic concerns, Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan said on Tuesday that all problems with Russia would be resolved through dialogue.

‘There are some issues, and such issues exist between all countries. At times, these issues increase or decrease. That’s what we politicians are for — to discuss and resolve these issues’, Simonyan said.

A track record of economic pressure

Russia has previously been accused of using food health standards as a way to exert economic pressure on countries — including Armenia.

Over the past several years, as Armenian–Russian relations plummeted, Moscow has repeatedly claimed that different Armenian products, including brandy, failed to meet Russian standards.

Previously, Russia banned imports of Georgian wines and Borjomi mineral water in 2006 as tensions between the Kremlin and then–Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili rose. Russia lifted the ban in 2013, soon after Saakashvili lost power.

Putin and Pashinyan hold contentious talks in Moscow

The reopening of the Jermuk case occurred following tense talks between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on 1 April.

During the meeting, Putin underscored the impossibility of Armenia being a member of  both the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Furthermore, the sides failed to reach an agreement regarding the future of Armenia’s railways, which are currently under Russian management as part of a 30-year concession agreement signed in 2008.

Despite Yerevan insisting that Russian management means a loss of ‘competitive advantage’ by having international routes pass through the country, following the talks Moscow said there were ‘no objective reasons for selling’ the South Caucasus Railway concession to a third party.

Immediately after the Pashinyan–Putin talks, Russia announced ‘stricter requirements’ on the import of Armenian products.

Separately, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk accused Armenia of coming ‘very close to the point where we will have to restructure our economic relations with this country’.

In turn, Armenia threatened to leave Russian-led economic and security blocs — the EAEU and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CTSO — if economic pressure from Russia continued, particularly regarding the prices of gas Armenia received from Russia gas — which Putin stressed were preferential in early April.

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