Category: 2022

Armenian writer, dissident and former political prisoner Meruzhan Hovhannisyan has died at the age of 82 after long illness, Aravot.am broke the news on Wednesday.

Meruzhan was sentenced to a total of 22 years in prison for anti-Soviet activity and spent 15 years in jail.

He served most of his sentence in inhumane conditions in the penal colonies of Vladimir and Norilsk.

In his memoirs "Vladimir Prison”, Meruzhan said famous opera singer Alexander Mirlas and physicist Vladimir Krauklis shared prison cell with him.

The publisher of his first collection of poems was Vahagn Davtyan, who was the first deputy chairman of the committee on the Diaspora affairs at the time.

Baku was not an Azerbaijani city even at the end of the 19th century, Armenian expert on Iran Vardan Voskanyan claims.

"Despite the fact that, unlike the dictator of Baku, who declares day in, day out that Yerevan is an "Azerbaijani city", none of the Armenian leaders has ever claimed that Baku is an Armenian city, but the fact is that it was not at least an Azerbaijani city even in the late 19th century,” he wrote on Facebook late on Tuesday, referring to an 1891 book.

“At the time, there were more Persian-speaking and Armenian populations in this city of Caucasian Persians (Tats) than Turkic-speaking ancestors of the present-day ethnic Azerbaijanis in the settlement.

“Out of around 100,000 inhabitants of Baku, only some 40,000 were Shia Muslims, the majority of whom were Caucasian Persians or Tats, while Armenians numbered almost 26,000,” Voskanyan said.

A meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Shushi Technological University Foundation took place on Wednesday with the participation of President of the Artsakh Republic Arayik Harutyunyan, the presidential office reported.

Acting rector Nver Mikayelyan made a report on the annual results of the university's activity. Within the framework of the agenda, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Shushi Technological University Foundation discussed the issues of improving the building conditions of the university and providing it with property.

During the sitting, by secret ballot the members of the Board of Trustees unanimously elected Nver Mikayelyan rector of Shushi Technological University.

The Artsakh leader, who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Shushi Technological University Foundation, noted that they will spare no effort to ensure quality education and restore the necessary conditions for the university's activity.

Today, January 26, marks the 30th anniversary of the heroic battle for the Artsakh village of Karin Tak, Colonel Senor Hasratyan, former spokesman of the Artsakh Defense Army, said in a Facebook post.

"Today, exactly 30 years ago, the heroic battle for Karin Tak took place… On January 26, 1992 the self-defense of the village was led by Vagharshak Arushanyan, a driver by profession. The actions of the enemy were coordinated personally by then Azerbaijani Minister of Defense Tajeddin Mehdiyev,” he wrote.

As a result of the combat operations, the enemy, that had launched an attack from three sides, suffered over 90 casualties and was pushed back to its initial positions. There were only 22 casualties on the Armenian side, including three women, Hasratyan said.

“The village remained impregnable. Nearly 28 years after the Karin Tak heroic battle, another fight for the defense of the village took place. This time, the Armenian defensive operations were led by academically qualified commanders, while the actions of Azeri forces were coordinated by senior officials of the Azerbaijani and Turkish General Staffs…

“Under very incomprehensible circumstances, the securely protected Karin Tak fell on November 4, 2020,” he noted.

During the Karin Tak heroic battle 30 years ago, Vagharshak Arushanyan fell heroically, while his son Mkhitar Arushanyan was killed in the 2020 fighting, the colonel said.

“Glorifying the fallen heroes, let us remain committed to the idea of preserving our homeland,” he added.

Nikol Pashinyan has tested positive for Covid-19, the Armenian government said in a statement on Wednesday.

He has self-isolated and has experienced no symptoms so far.

“Prime Minister Pashinyan will continue working remotely,” the statement said.

Last week, he attended Defense Minister Suren Papikyan's big wedding ceremony. It is not ruled out that Pashinyan is not the only infected official.

Pashinyan contracted Covid-19 back in June 2020.