Author: Kanayan Tamar

2026 ANCA Leo Sarkisian interns and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellow gather on the Capitol steps with ANCA Programs Director Michael Tatevossian

Summer Interns Advocate for Release of Armenian Hostages and Against Turkey’s F-35 Reintegration During ANCA’s Flagship Leadership Training Program

BY JOSEPH DAGDIGIAN

WASHINGTON — The Armenian National Committee of America is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its Leo Sarkisian Internship Program this summer, with this year’s class — the most geographically diverse in program history — now three weeks into an intensive schedule of Congressional meetings and Hai Tahd advocacy in the nation’s capital. Interns hail from Arizona, California, Colorado, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

This year’s Leo Sarkisian interns — Sophene Avedissian, Aren Bandazian, Aram Bavoukian, Jackson Beudjekian, Brandon Zareh Fregenti, Narine Hrihorian, Alec Krikorian, Nicole Mikayelyan, Juliana Panossian, Suren Sargsyan, and Arenie Vartanian — are joined by Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellow Arev Buchaklian for an intensive summer program based in Washington, DC.

“For forty years, the ANCA has empowered the next generation of Armenian American leaders through the Leo Sarkisian Internship and Maral Melkonian Fellowship. As we celebrate this milestone, this year’s interns — from Armenian American communities all across the U.S., from Arizona and Texas to Wisconsin and North Carolina — embody the same passion and purpose that have defined the history of this program,” said Michael Tatevossian, 2026 ANCA Summer Program Director. “Their daily activities, from meetings with Members of Congress to engaging in policy briefings, reflect their deep commitment to advancing the cause for justice.”

Interns have met with Members of Congress and Congressional staff throughout their first three weeks in Washington, pressing lawmakers to demand Azerbaijan’s immediate release of Armenian hostages, who surpassed 1,000 days in captivity in late June. Interns urged Representatives to mark the milestone with statements on social media and the House floor, and joined a Capitol Hill press conference where Reps. Judy Chu, Brad Sherman, Jim Costa, and Laura Friedman renewed calls for the hostages’ release and for accountability for Azerbaijan’s ongoing human rights abuses.

Interns are also engaging Congressional offices in the ANCA’s campaign against the proposed $700 million sale of GE F110 jet engines to Turkey and Turkey’s potential reintegration into the F-35 program. They are building co-sponsors for H.J.Res.200, introduced by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), a Joint Resolution of Disapproval, and encouraging offices to join the bipartisan letter led by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Brad Sherman (D-CA) opposing Turkey’s return to the F-35 program. The advocacy comes as NATO leaders gather this week for the NATO Summit in Ankara.

The ANCA LSI and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellowship are integral parts of the ANCA’s youth empowerment and professional development efforts, including the ANCA Hovig Apo Saghdejian Capital Gateway Program, which helps university students and graduates find internships and permanent positions in Congressional offices and government agencies. The ANCA also hosts the Rising Leaders career development program for university students, the Haroutioun and Elizabeth Kasparian Summer Academy for high school students, and the Lucine Kouchakdjian Capitol Hill Days.

Established in 1986 and named in honor of longtime ANCA grassroots leader Leo Sarkisian, the LSI Program has helped launch the careers of hundreds of alumni now serving in government, law, media, public policy, and community leadership.

Armenian Americans can follow the 2026 interns’ summer advocacy on ANCA’s social media pages, join the campaign against Turkey’s F-35 reintegration at online, and demand the release of Armenian hostages by supporting the Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act (H.R.5369).

Meet the 2026 ANCA Leo Sarkisian Interns and Maral Melkonian Avetisyan Fellow:

Sophene Avedissian, of Glendale, CA, is a rising sophomore at Stanford University majoring in Political Science. She is active in Stanford’s Pre-Law Society and Women in Law organization, and will hold an executive board position with the Armenian Students Association next year.

“Advocacy and service to the Armenian community have always been extremely important to me. In high school, I participated in the ANCA Summer Academy, where my commitment to and interest in the Armenian Cause solidified. I am excited to be back in the nation’s capital, where I look forward to continuing to develop my advocacy skills and bringing them back to serve my Armenian community as well as Armenians worldwide,” said Avedissian.

Aren Bandazian, of Richmond, VA, is a rising junior at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, FL, studying political science and psychology, and plans to work for the State Department after graduation. A longtime member of the AYF Washington, DC “Ani” chapter, he served as an acolyte and danced with the group at St. James Armenian Church in Richmond.

“I believe the ANCA is crucial for providing diasporan Armenians with a voice. As an intern and member of the ANCA, I am eager to advocate for legislation that strengthens the U.S.-Armenia relationship, protects Armenian sovereignty, and ensures a durable peace in the region,” said Bandazian.

Aram Bavoukian recently graduated from Montclair State University with a degree in Communication and Media Studies and a minor in English. He serves as Public Relations and Correspondence Coordinator for the Armenian Youth Federation’s New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter, of which he has been a member for twelve years, and sits on the chapter’s Hai Tahd Committee. After attending the ANCA’s 2025 Rising Leaders Program and 2026 ANCA Eastern Region Grassroots Seminar, Bavoukian sought to deepen his engagement with the Armenian Cause through the Leo Sarkisian Internship.

“I’ve always been proud of being Armenian. Combined with an interest in political advocacy and education in media, LSI seemed like a great fit for me as I enter the professional world. I also hope to take this time in DC to grow and to take what I learn to give back to my local Armenian community in New Jersey,” said Bavoukian.

Jackson Beudjekian, of Irvine, CA, is a rising junior who transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles, to study Political Science. Educated at an Armenian school, he has represented the Armenian American caucus at the Statewide Democratic Convention and helped elect ANCA-endorsed candidates in Orange County.

“The ANCA gives a voice to a people that have been typically voiceless in American politics. I decided to participate in the Leo Sarkisian Internship program to help take the advocacy skills and grassroots strategy ANCA promotes back home to help further the Armenian Cause,” said Beudjekian.

Arev Buchaklian is a rising senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Honors College, studying Political Science, International Relations, French, and Public Policy. A member of the AYF Racine “Armen Garo” chapter and the AYF Central Junior Council, she co-founded the Armenian Students Association at UW-Madison and hopes to pursue a career in international or immigration law.

“I admire the way the ANCA continuously works to overcome challenges facing Armenia. I wanted to shift my perspective on my ability to make change. I have struggled with viewing the past, current, and future of the Armenian state as something out of my power and control. I’m excited and honored to have the opportunity to learn from the ways the ANCA takes initiative in its position of power to make a meaningful impact on Armenia and the Armenian community. In engaging in this internship as a Maral Melkonian Avetisyan fellow, I hope to honor Maral by living up to the aspirations that she set for herself, her homeland, and her heritage,” said Buchaklian.

Brandon Zareh Fregenti, of Harrington Park, NJ, recently earned a master’s degree in communication studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Florham Campus in Madison, NJ. A member of the AYF-YOARF New Jersey “Arsen” Chapter’s executive board and Hai Tahd Committee, he has also danced with Hamazkayin of New Jersey’s Nayiri Dance Ensemble since he was eight years old.

“In March 2026, I had gone to Watertown, MA, for the ANCA Eastern Region’s Grassroots Seminar for three days, and I couldn’t stop thinking about when I took part in the Rising Leaders Program in 2022. This made me realize that advocating for the Armenian Cause had become an even bigger priority for me than it already has. I am grateful to the ANCA for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Leo Sarkisian Internship Program, and for giving me the opportunity to spend six weeks in our nation’s capital to help me gain knowledge of how I can better advocate for the Armenian Cause throughout the halls of Congress and beyond, along with bringing back that knowledge to my home state and AYF chapter,” said Fregenti.

Narine Hrihorian is a rising junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Political Science and minoring in French. Originally from Ukraine, she came to North Carolina in 2021 through the Future Leaders Exchange Program and has remained active in both the Armenian and Ukrainian communities in North Carolina. After participating in the ANCA’s Rising Leaders Program in March 2026, Hrihorian returned to Washington, DC for the Leo Sarkisian Internship to continue developing her advocacy and public affairs skills.

“During my time with ANCA, I am excited to further develop the skills necessary to advocate effectively for the Armenian community and for those whose voices are too often overlooked, marginalized, or silenced. My goal is to use this experience to become a stronger advocate and, ultimately, a lawyer who will ensure that others have someone fighting by their side,” said Hrihorian.

Alec Krikorian, of Pasadena, CA, is a third-generation Armenian American and a rising sophomore at Pasadena City College studying Political Science. Educated at Armenian school throughout his life, he hopes to pursue advocacy work in politics, policy, and government.

“I applied to this internship because I was excited to learn from different professionals here in DC, specifically about how they leverage their roles to advance the Armenian cause and advocate for issues that are important to the Armenian community. I hope my experience will help me become a better advocate for Armenian issues,” said Krikorian.

Nicole Mikayelyan, of Dallas, TX, is a rising senior at Texas A&M University majoring in Society, Ethics, and Law with minors in Business and Philosophy. She serves as president of Texas A&M’s Honors Student Council, co-founded the Pan-Honors Freshman Leadership Organization, and helped establish the Armenian Student Association at Texas A&M, where she will serve as vice president next year.

“I applied to the Leo Sarkisian Internship because I wanted to take a more active role in advocating for Armenia through policy and legislation. I’m very grateful to the ANCA for the opportunity to work in the nation’s capital, and I’m really looking forward to contributing this summer,” said Mikaelyan.

Juliana Panossian, a rising senior at Arizona State University and Barrett, the Honors College, is studying Political Science with a minor in Philosophy and certificates in International Relations, Civic Education, and Health Humanities. She serves as president of the Armenian Student Association at ASU, promoting Armenian culture and causes among students across the Phoenix Valley, and has spearheaded fundraisers and events for Armenians in the homeland throughout high school and college.

“I was raised in a proud Armenian household. During the events of 2020, I realized that the words ‘never again’ were not enough. It was my goal and passion to ensure that I don’t sit by while these injustices occur but rather, to be a voice for the Armenian community. In this world, there is no voice too small, and I am incredibly grateful to the Armenian National Committee of America for giving me the opportunity to use my voice to help my people,” said Panossian.

Suren Sargsyan, of Aurora, CO, is a first-generation Armenian American and recent University of Colorado Boulder graduate with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Engineering Management. Active in his local Armenian community since age twelve, he founded and grew the Armenian Student Association chapter at CU Boulder.

“I have found my North Star,” said Sargsyan.

Arenie Vartanian is a rising senior at Marquette University studying public relations and advertising. She joined the Leo Sarkisian Internship to learn more about U.S.-Armenia relations, and plans to pursue a master’s degree before a career as a publicist. After Washington, she will bring what she has learned back to Racine, WI, to continue advocacy work in her local Armenian community.

“I chose this program for a myriad of reasons, the main one being my devotion to advocacy and interest in foreign relations. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to work alongside other young Armenian advocates who care just as deeply as I do about the Armenian Cause,” said Vartanian.

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Masked security officials take Gagik Tsarukyan to court on Jul. 7

More than 10,000 workers were out of work on Tuesday after National Security Service officers raided and seized businesses belonging to opposition leader Gagik Tsarukyan, whose home was also raided and he was taken into police custody.

Tsarukyan, who is the chair of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party, on Tuesday was remanded into pre-trial custody for two months.

The businesses and ventures run shut down after Tsarukyan’s arrest include the “Ararat Cement” factory, the Yerevan-based “Ararat” brandy, wine and vodka factory, the “Multi Stone” company, the “Multi Wellness” gym, the Olimpavan center and the “Pharaoh” restaurant. The National Olympic Committee of Armenia headed by Tsarukyan was also not operating on Tuesday.

Prosperous Armenia Party spokesperson Iveta Tonoyan said that more than 10,000 employees were forced out of their jobs as a result of Monday’s raid on Tsarukyan’s properties and businesses.

“I simply want to understand how prudent this ongoing effort to break the backbone of the country’s economy is,” Tonoyan said, according to Azatutyun.am.

“Of course, I understand that the current authorities have an insatiable and great desire to achieve their goal at any cost and motivated by political revenge. But I must inform you with regret that this process will actually be fraught with numerous dangerous consequences, because tens of thousands of people are now unemployed,” Tonoyan added.

Tsarukyan’s businesses have paid more than $7.5 million in taxes to the state in the first quarter of this year. According to data, “Ararat Cement” alone paid about one billion drams ($2,721,311) in taxes during that period and is the 82nd largest taxpayer in Armenia. Yerevan’s “Ararat” Cognac, Wine and Vodka Factory is the 321st, paying about 265 million drams ($721,148), and the “Pharaoh” restaurant is in the leading position, ranking as the 52nd largest company in the country, paying about 1.5 billion drams ($4,081,966) in taxes.

Two-Month Pre-Trial Detention for Tsarukyan
Tsarukyan strongly denied early on Tuesday new criminal charges that led to his arrest on Tuesday.

A handcuffed Tsarukyan briefly addressed reporters as he was escorted out of an Investigative Committee building in Yerevan to face court hearings on his pre-trial arrest. He was greeted by hundreds of supporters who gathered outside the building.

“The accusation is fabricated, it’s a bubble, there is nothing in it,” Tsarukyan said. “We will prove that by 100 percent. Everything will be cleared up.”

The arrest followed a 12-hour search conducted at his villa by law-enforcement authorities on Monday. The latter also raided dozens of companies owned by Tsarukyan and disrupted their operations in a crackdown widely linked to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s repeated pledges to jail and “dispossess” his political foes.

Armenia’s Investigative Committee claims that Tsarukyan led a “criminal group” that misappropriated $22 million worth of fuel, transport equipment and other goods supplied by his Iranian business partners from 2022 to 2024. His lawyers say he himself was defrauded by the Iranians and alerted the law-enforcement authorities about that.

“We clearly substantiated in the court that these individuals themselves owe Tsarukyan money and that they have not returned it, even though they had undertaken to do so by 2026,” one of the lawyers, Yerem Sargsyan, said right after a court hearing on his client’s arrest.

However, the Yerevan court allowed investigators to hold Tsarukyan in detention for the next two months. The defense lawyers said they will appeal against the decision made by the same judge who sanctioned the pre-trial arrest of a key Tsarukyan ally in the run-up to last month’s parliamentary elections.

Tsarukyan’s Prosperous Party of Armenia was seen as not clearing the four-percent threshold needed to enter parliament, according to the election results validated by Armenia’s Constitutional Court, which also rejected opposition appeals to revisit election results.

The Constitutional Court’s decision on Saturday, also granted the votes won by Tsarukyan’s party to Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, increasing its seats in parliament. That increase, however, did not give the ruling party the two-thirds votes needed to pass significant legislative measures, such as the amendment of Armenia’s Constitution.

Opposition forces vowed to continue their struggle. The “Strong Armenia” and “Armenia” alliances, which won enough votes to secure them seats in the parliament, said that they would enter the legislature and use their mandates to advance their agenda.

A Lion has Died
As part of the law-enforcement crackdown on Tsarukyan, masked security officers also shut down a private zoo on the businessman’s residential compound, pledgling to move the wild animals to Yerevan Zoo.

They included three lions and four tigers. Zoo officials fired tranquilizer darts to sedate them for a hastier transport. One of the lions never woke up. Its death was officially confirmed the next evening.

Ashot Aslanian, the deputy director of the Yerevan Zoo, said he had warned the authorities that anesthesia-driven sleep will be dangerous for three of the big cats because of their old age, Azatutyun.am reported.

“I pointed out during the relevant documentation that we are conducting a high-risk operation,” he said.

The Investigative Committee, which oversaw the operation, said it will launch an inquiry into the lion’s death.

The committee defended the closure of Tsarukyan’s zoo the previous night, insisting that the wild animals were kept there as a result of “illegal hunting,” which it was also investigating. It did not elaborate on the claim. No lions or tigers live in the wild in Armenia.

Tonoyan, Tsarukyan’s spokesperson, insisted, meanwhile, the opposition leader had all legal permits for the confiscated animals. “Perhaps the best conditions in Armenia were provided for the animals kept there,” she said.

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