Category: News

Turkish Press: Armenian opposition urged to form joint front against constitut

Vanyan Gary
Harici, Turkey
Nov 5, 2026

Armenian opposition urged to form joint front against constitution

Narek Karapetyan, a lawmaker and head of the Strong Armenia faction in the Armenian parliament, has urged opposition parties to unite around four core principles set out in a joint declaration.

The key points of the declaration include resisting territorial concessions and blocking the adoption of a new constitution, which the opposition has termed the “Aliyev constitution”.

According to a report by Aysor.am, Narek Karapetyan stated that the opposition meeting was originally planned to be led by his uncle, businessman and Strong Armenia movement leader Samvel Karapetyan.

“We initiated the meeting, but the authorities took preemptive steps to prevent Samvel Karapetyan from launching the national unification process,” Narek Karapetyan said.

Noting that, despite these events, opposition representatives convened and signed a joint declaration based on four agreed articles, Narek Karapetyan invited other opposition forces and members of the public to join the alliance.

“We will not allow them to implement the Aliyev constitution in Armenia. We must unite,” Karapetyan said.

Ahead of these developments, Armenian National Security Service personnel detained Strong Armenia Party leader Samvel Karapetyan following a search of his home.

The party’s press secretary, Agavni Sukiasyan, announced that on the morning of the same day, the Investigative Committee of Armenia searched the homes of both Samvel Karapetyan and Narek Karapetyan.

In a report citing the Investigative Committee, Armenpress stated that Samvel Karapetyan was detained as part of a case involving allegations of causing large-scale financial damage to the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) company, embezzling entrusted property, and money laundering.

According to committee figures, the total damage inflicted on the company exceeds $179 million.

Narek Karapetyan’s home was also searched at the end of July as part of a criminal case.

On 22 July, Armenia’s Central Electoral Commission approved the Prosecutor General’s request to strip Narek Karapetyan of his parliamentary immunity, and Karapetyan was charged with large-scale money laundering.

According to information reported by Sputnik Armenia, the investigation is linked to charges brought against Strong Armenia supporter Aleksan Aleksanyan.

Investigative authorities allege that Aleksanyan received approximately $4.4 million and €230,000 from the Karapetyan-owned Tashir Foundation under the guise of gifts and loans.

Several criminal cases had previously been opened against Samvel Karapetyan.

In 2025, Karapetyan was charged with publicly calling for the violent seizure of power after backing the Armenian Apostolic Church, which had been criticized by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

In January, legal proceedings were also launched against Karapetyan on charges of large-scale tax evasion and money laundering.

Separately, in early July 2025, the Armenian parliament approved a bill enabling the nationalization of the Electric Networks of Armenia company.

In March, Armenia’s Constitutional Court ruled that the nationalization process in question complied with the law.

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Twelve opposition political parties in Armenia have formed a coalition

Nahapetian Samvel
Eurasia Daily
Nov 5, 2026
November 5th, 2026
07:29

Twelve opposition political forces of Armenia signed a joint statement on the consolidation of efforts. The main goal of the association was to oppose the course of the current Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

To this end, the coalition intends to develop a unified position on key issues of the country’s domestic and foreign policy. The association was initiated by the head of the parliamentary faction of the Strong Armenia party, Narek Karapetyan.

The first meeting of opposition representatives was held at the house of the leader of this party, businessman Samvel Karapetyan. The final joint statement says that the signatories are aware of the scale of the current tasks.

The created coalition includes the Armenia bloc, the Hayakwe movement and Together, as well as the parties Country for Life, Prosperous Armenia, Republican Party of Armenia, Armenian National Congress, Heritage, Democratic Alternative, New Era, United Armenians and Strong Armenia.

Despite the existing ideological differences and different political path, the participants agreed on a common position on a number of important points.

They oppose unilateral territorial concessions imposed on the country for the sake of achieving peace, for the protection of national identity and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The coalition also demands that the democratic freedoms and civil rights of the country’s residents be fully restored. The organizers stressed that discussions are continuing.

The parties called on other public, political and state forces to join the alliance created to overcome the challenges facing the Armenian statehood.

Earlier, EADaily reported that the next Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will consider the issue of applying Article 25 of the CSTO Charter to Armenia.

Подробнее:https://www.eadaily.com/en/news/2026/11/05/twelve-opposition-political-parties-in-armenia-have-formed-a-coalition

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Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan detained while under house arrest

Ani Kharatian
JAM news
Nov 5, 2026
  • JAMnews
  • Yerevan

Prominent Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, founder of the Tashir Group and leader of the opposition Strong Armenia party, has been detained.

A criminal investigation has been launched against Karapetyan and 35 others. They are suspected of:

  • Causing particularly large-scale financial damage to Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA).
  • Embezzling entrusted property.
  • Money laundering on a particularly large scale.

The total damage allegedly caused to Electric Networks of Armenia exceeds 64.585 billion drams (more than $180m).

Armenia’s Investigative Committee said the alleged offences were committed between 2016 and 2024 by a group of individuals led by “S.K.”. Investigators are examining four alleged criminal episodes in the private sector.

The committee said the alleged crimes had been uncovered following extensive investigative work and on the basis of information obtained from the National Security Service, the Interior Ministry and the State Revenue Committee.

Billionaire Samvel Karapetyan was already under house arrest in connection with a separate criminal case. In June 2025, he was charged with publicly calling for the seizure of power and the overthrow of the constitutional order. Several months later, another criminal investigation was launched, and Karapetyan faced additional economic crime charges, including money laundering.

In July 2026, criminal proceedings were also initiated against his nephew, Narek Karapetyan. He is accused of coercing people into attending gatherings and money laundering on a particularly large scale. The court imposed bail of 1 billion drams ($281,000) and a ban on leaving the country.

  • Brawl in Armenia’s parliament: Pashinyan says he “supports” his party colleagues
  • ‘Another attempt is being prepared to deprive Armenia of its independence’ — Pashinyan
  • Armenia’s new parliament: balance of power, tools of government and opposition’s dead end

Searches began early in the morning

Armenia’s Investigative Committee began conducting searches early in the morning at the homes of Strong Armenia party leader Samvel Karapetyan and his nephew Narek Karapetyan, who heads the parliamentary faction of the same name.

“Searches are also being carried out at other addresses linked to the Karapetyan family,” party spokeswoman Aghavni Sukiasyan said.

The Investigative Committee later confirmed the information, specifying that simultaneous searches were being conducted at 65 locations. It emerged that the searches were being carried out by the Main Department for the Investigation of Economic Crimes as part of a criminal investigation.

‘Certain circles in Russia and Eurasian Economic Union back secret plan by Armenian opposition’ – Pashinyan

The leader of the opposition Strong Armenia party announced a secret plan to change the government in Armenia. The prime minister said that “specific individuals” had been sent to Armenia to carry it out.

Investigative Committee reveals details of alleged crimes

Several hours after the searches, Armenia’s Investigative Committee released details of the case under investigation:

“Members of a criminal group operating under the leadership of S.K. – including certain members of the Board of Directors of Electric Networks of Armenia CJSC, the company’s general director, his deputy and other senior officials – abused their powers in managing the company’s day-to-day operations with the aim of embezzling company assets on a particularly large scale.”

Investigators found that the individuals concerned had deliberately taken out bank loans exceeding the company’s actual operational needs. The funds were then transferred under the guise of dividend payments to the offshore company Liormand Holdings Limited and Tashir Capital CJSC. Both companies are shareholders in Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA) and belong to the Karapetyan family.

“With the aim of laundering funds obtained through the aforementioned criminal activities, executives of more than ten interconnected organisations, under the leadership and direction of S.K., created the appearance of large-scale financial transactions within the framework of civil-law and corporate relations. They concealed the criminal origin of the embezzled funds, converted them and mixed them with their other income. In doing so, they disguised the true nature and origin of the illegally obtained assets and funds, making them appear legitimate and thereby laundering money and obtaining criminal proceeds,” the Investigative Committee said.

As a result, Electric Networks of Armenia allegedly suffered financial losses on a particularly large scale.

The supervising prosecutor decided to initiate criminal proceedings against 36 individuals, and an investigator ordered their detention. The criminal investigation is ongoing.

‘Everything has limits’ – Pashinyan vows to sue Samvel Karapetyan

Russian businessman claims Armenia’s prime minister uses “hallucinogenic mushrooms” before public appearances. What else Karapetyan said and the escalating war of words between Pashinyan and Karapetyan.

Opposition alleges “political pressure”

Strong Armenia parliamentary faction leader Narek Karapetyan linked the morning’s developments to his party’s position on the new Constitution. According to him, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is trying to pressure the party into a “deal”. He claimed that the prime minister would offer to release Samvel Karapetyan in exchange for the party’s agreement to hold a referendum on the new Constitution.

“They are trying to persuade us to allow the Constitution to be put to a referendum and adopted. Look at what is happening. Whatever they are told in Baku, they come back and start trying to convince us [to agree to it]. We are the obstacle preventing them from pushing through a Constitution that suits Aliyev,” he stressed.

Nikol Pashinyan has said that the draft of Armenia’s new Constitution is ready and that its text will be published in November. For a referendum to be held, two-thirds of parliament’s members must vote in favour of the initiative. However, the ruling party does not have enough seats and expects opposition lawmakers to support the proposal. The prime minister has repeatedly stated that constitutional reform is necessary for Armenia itself.

ёThe opposition, however, believes that the government’s initiative is driven by a demand from Azerbaijan. Baku has called for amendments to Armenia’s Constitution as a precondition for signing a peace agreement, arguing that it contains territorial claims. The Constitution itself contains no provisions that could directly give rise to such concerns. However, it refers to the Declaration of Independence, which mentions the unification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. It is already known that this reference will be removed from the new Constitution.

Narek Karapetyan said the Strong Armenia party would not change its position even if hundreds of people were arrested.

He argued that the developments had nothing to do with economic crimes and accused the authorities of attempting to exert political pressure on the opposition.

After law enforcement officers detained his uncle, Narek Karapetyan used stronger language:

“He thinks he can achieve something with his birdbrain. Nothing you have planned has worked, and nothing ever will. You are simply afraid of our enemy,” Karapetyan said, addressing Pashinyan.

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Armenian opposition forms alliance against plan to amend constitution followin

Kalashian Nyrie
OC Media
Nov 5, 2026
by Arshaluys Barseghyan

5 November 2026

Armenia’s main opposition groups have announced the formation of a nationwide alliance, pledging to oppose the ruling Civil Contract party’s plan to amend the constitution, which they describe as ‘Aliyev’s constitution’. The announcement came hours after the arrest of Russian–Armenian billionaire and opposition Strong Armenia leader Samvel Karapetyan.

Amendments to Armenia’s constitution are one of the last few preconditions Azerbaijan had laid out for the signing of a peace treaty. The two countries initialled the peace deal in August 2025, but have yet to finalise it, with Baku claiming the Armenian constitution contained territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

Amendments to the constitution have been a hot topic in the past week, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan even suggesting he could call snap elections to secure enough seats to force a referendum on the constitution. Despite winning the June parliamentary elections, Civil Contract lacks the two-thirds majority required to call a referendum to amend the constitution.

Explainer | Could Armenia have a snap election as soon as next year?

Strong Armenia hosted a meeting with representatives of Armenia’s main opposition groups at Karapetyan’s mansion in Yerevan shortly after the tycoon’s arrest. Following the meeting, they issued a joint statement announcing the ‘formation of a pan-national consolidation’.

Aside from rejecting plans to adopt a new constitution, the groups also outlined three other goals — ‘peace without unilateral concessions or territorial losses’; ‘protection of national identity and the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church’; and ‘restoration of democratic freedoms and rights’.

They also called on all political parties, public figures, and civil society figures to join the alliance.

Karekin II needed to ‘complete the picture’, Pashinyan says

The meeting took place hours after Karapetyan and 35 of his associates were arrested on Wednesday as part of a criminal investigation into alleged damages of more than ֏65 billion ($180 million) at Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), the country’s main power grid operator.

ENA is owned by Karapetyan’s Tashir Group, but is currently under state management pending nationalisation.

The arrests followed searches on Wednesday at Karapetyan’s mansion, the home of his nephew, Narek Karapetyan, who leads Strong Armenia’s faction in parliament, among 60 other locations.

The investigation also involves several members of ENA’s board of directors, the company’s CEO, deputy CEO, and other senior officials.

According to the authorities, they had obtained evidence suggesting that, under Karapetyan’s direction, ‘between 2016 and 2024 several individuals committed four separate counts involving abuse of official authority in the private sector, embezzlement of entrusted property in particularly large amounts, and money laundering in particularly large amounts’.

Prior to his detention on Wednesday, Karapetyan had already been under house arrest in December 2025, after being released on bail following more than six months in pretrial detention over charges of calling for the usurpation of power and money laundering.

Those charges concerned remarks he made in support of the Armenian Apostolic Church amid its conflict with Pashinyan and Civil Contract.

After being charged with making calls against the state, he announced his entry into politics and the creation of the Strong Armenia, which emerged as the ruling Civil Contract party’s main challenger in the June parliamentary elections.

Explainer | Who is Samvel Karapetyan, the Russian–Armenian billionaire whose empire is under siege

Strong Armenia linked Karapetyan’s arrest to the ongoing debate over Armenia’s constitution.

‘By remanding Samvel Karapetyan in custody again, Pashinyan is attempting to force the adoption of Aliyev’s Constitution through anti-democratic methods’, the party’s statement read.

The party expressed confidence that Pashinyan ‘will not succeed in imposing’ the new constitution, arguing that the Armenian people oppose it.

‘Together, we will say “NO” to Aliyev’s Constitution and “YES” to preserving Armenia’s independence’, the statement concluded.

Narek Karapetyan rejected the allegations against his uncle, arguing that Samvel Karapetyan owned ENA and could not have committed abuses against his own company.

He said that the authorities sought to use Samvel Karapetyan’s arrest as a ‘bargaining chip’ to gain support for a new constitution.

Karapetyan’s arrest comes amid a wider series of criminal proceedings and other measures targeting opposition figures in the aftermath of the June elections. With his detention, all of Pashinyan’s main political challengers are now in pretrial detention, including former President Robert Kocharyan and Prosperous Armenia leader Gagik Tsarukyan.

Pashinyan addressed the opposition meeting during his weekly press briefing on Thursday, sarcastically remarking that one important person was not in attendance: Catholicos Karekin II.

Pashinyan suggests parliamentary investigation into Armenian Church ‘crisis’

Tensions between the Armenian government and the Church escalated into an open conflict in May 2025, with Pashinyan vowing to topple Karekin II. The conflict came as Church figures increasingly involved themselves in politics. This included the Tavush for the Motherland anti-government movement, which was led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.

‘Had he [Karekin II] also been present, the picture would have been complete, and I believe that within just a few days, that format could have brought about a revolution and a change of government in Armenia. But it is not too late even now. If, for example, they gather in that format this evening, I believe there will already be a revolution by Sunday evening’, Pashinyan said.

As for the criminal case and the opposition response, he also said that for more than 30 years, ‘looting’ in Armenia had been concealed behind other concepts and terms, such as ‘Azerbaijan, Aliyev, Turkey, and so on’.

He argued that law enforcement authorities should act whenever abuses are uncovered, adding that ‘we need to establish the origins of the wealth of our so-called benefactors’ — a reference to Samvel Karapetyan.

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Israeli Press: Pro-Russian Armenian critics push ‘Jewish project’ claims as Tr

Emil Lazarian
Jerusalem Post
Nov 5, 2026

Former Armenian PM, opposition commentators allege Israeli influence over US-backed TRIPP route amid growing tensions between Yerevan and Moscow.

ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFNOVEMBER 5, 2026 18:42

As Armenia and Azerbaijan move ahead with plans for a US-backed transport corridor championed by President Donald Trump, pro-Russian political figures and Armenian opposition commentators are portraying the project as serving hidden Jewish and Israeli interests, reviving antisemitic conspiracy narratives amid deteriorating relations between Yerevan and Moscow.

The accusations have taken on renewed significance following Armenia’s ratification of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a strategic transport project connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia, near the Iranian border.

On Thursday, November 5, the Armenian government proposed an extraordinary parliamentary session for November 12 to consider legislation facilitating the establishment of the joint Armenian-American company responsible for implementing the project. The move follows the Armenian parliament’s October 28 ratification of the TRIPP agreement by 63 votes to 32, with opposition lawmakers voting against it.

While opponents have raised concerns over Armenian sovereignty, relations with Iran and growing dependence on Washington, several prominent voices have gone further, suggesting that the initiative is controlled by Jewish or Israeli interests.

Among them is Khosrov Harutyunyan, who served as Armenia’s prime minister from 1992 to 1993. Earlier, in an interview with Armenian outlet 168TV, Harutyunyan explicitly described TRIPP as a “Jewish project.” He alleged that Israel had proposed renaming the Zangezur Corridor to overcome Armenian objections while leaving its underlying purpose unchanged.

Harutyunyan argued that the real objective was to bring Armenia’s southern Syunik province under foreign economic and eventually military influence, rather than promote regional peace. He returned to similar themes in subsequent interviews.

Political analyst Arthur Khachikyan has advanced related claims, alleging that figures connected to the Israeli lobby and Trump’s inner circle stand behind the project.

In an October 30 statement published by 168.am, Khachikyan claimed that the company’s owners were members of the Israeli lobby with interests in Israel and ties to Azerbaijan. On November 4, in remarks published by Goris Times, he linked the initiative to Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and suggested that control over the strategically important Meghri area would ultimately pass to interests associated with Israel and Azerbaijan.

What the agreement says

The official agreement does not support those ownership claims. It provides for a 74% American stake and a 26% Armenian stake in a development company incorporated in Armenia. The American shareholder is to be wholly owned by the US International Development Finance Corporation, a government agency.

The agreement grants the company substantial commercial powers, including a role in selecting contractors and operators, and provides for certain exceptions to Armenian legislation. But it also explicitly recognizes Armenia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the project area. Nothing in the published agreement establishes control by Israel, Kushner or a Jewish lobby.

Other commentators have sought to connect Armenia’s future to Israel’s relationship with Azerbaijan.

Political analyst Vigen Hakobyan, speaking to 168TV, suggested that Azerbaijan had obligations to Israel extending beyond military cooperation, and pointed to the influence of a powerful lobby in Washington, including over the Trump administration.

Andranik Hovhannisyan, an international relations commentator appearing on opposition outlet LIVEnews.am, warned that Azerbaijan and Turkey sought to weaken Armenia into a failed state, drawing a comparison with the position of Palestinians in relation to Israel.

More sweeping conspiracy claims came from political commentator Tiran Lokmagozian, who alleged in an interview with Lratvakan Radio that Israel had received control over Karabakh as payment for its military assistance to Azerbaijan during the 2020 war.

Lokmagozian claimed that Israeli intelligence personnel and military forces were operating there and that airports had been constructed for Israeli aircraft to conduct operations against Iran. He also asserted that Azerbaijanis were not being resettled in the area.

No credible evidence was presented to establish that Israel controls Karabakh or operates military bases there. His assertion about the absence of Azerbaijani resettlement also conflicts with reports of residents returning to the region.

Tigran Kocharyan, editor-in-chief of Alpha News, suggested that Israel was preparing possible operations against Iran from Azerbaijani territory. He claimed that restrictions on hijabs in Azerbaijani schools could be used to identify and neutralize pro-Iranian elements, describing the process as an operation supported by Israel.

Kocharyan also participated in an October 30 roundtable on Russian-Armenian relations in Moscow, where he criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s approach to Russia. According to the Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, he accused the Armenian government of expecting Moscow to finance its European integration while continuing to benefit from Russian support.

The Israel-Azerbaijan arms trade

The actual defense relationship between Israel and Azerbaijan has provided fertile ground for these accusations.

On October 19, Horizon Weekly, the Canadian publication associated with the Armenian Revolutionary Federation, reported a $235 million Israeli arms deal with Azerbaijan. Israeli company Elbit Systems confirmed the contract but did not publicly identify Azerbaijan as the customer, which was named in Israeli media reports.

The publication criticized Israel’s role as a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and the use of Israeli weapons in previous fighting. Such criticism concerns an established military relationship and is distinct from allegations of hidden Jewish control over regional developments.

The broader political confrontation was on display at the October 30 Moscow meeting, where Russian State Duma member Konstantin Zatulin criticized both Moscow’s failure to do more to protect Armenia in the past and Pashinyan’s increasingly Western-oriented policies.

Russian political scientist Andranik Migranyan warned that Armenia’s statehood was at risk, arguing that separation from Russia would leave the country exposed to outside powers. He questioned whether Armenians would retain meaningful control over TRIPP under American management.

Those tensions have since intensified. On November 4, Russia proposed restricting Armenia’s voting and appointment rights in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), citing unpaid membership contributions. Armenia froze its participation in the alliance in 2024. On Thursday, Pashinyan reiterated that his country’s interests in the organization had been exhausted.

The use of antisemitic conspiracy narratives in Armenian political discourse is not new.

US State Department reports on religious freedom in Armenia for 2022 and 2023 documented the circulation of antisemitic theories by fringe groups and Russia-affiliated bloggers. Some portrayed the loss of Karabakh as part of a global Jewish-Turkish conspiracy.

The 2023 report also described antisemitic publications targeting Jewish community representatives, including allegations that a community leader worked for Israeli intelligence. Attacks on a synagogue in Yerevan were also documented, although Jewish community representatives cautioned that they appeared to involve outside provocations rather than widespread antisemitism in Armenian society.

There is no publicly established evidence that Moscow directed the specific statements about TRIPP. Nevertheless, the recurring references to supposed Jewish projects, Israeli influence and powerful lobbies echo conspiracy narratives previously documented among Russia-affiliated voices.

Armenia faces difficult questions over sovereignty, security and its future relations with Russia, Iran and the West. Those questions warrant serious public scrutiny. But introducing allegations of hidden Jewish control into that debate risks replacing an examination of political decisions with scapegoating, undermining public institutions and exposing the Jewish minority to hostility.

For a country seeking to strengthen its democratic institutions and build closer ties with Western partners, such narratives could ultimately weaken the very sovereignty their proponents claim to defend.

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Armenia picking up pace on TRIPP work

Jirair Kafian
Eurasianet
Nov 5, 2026

Yerevan does not want to wait on Washington.

Nov 5, 2026

Armenian officials have commenced design work for the TRIPP trade corridor, even though an operating agreement with the United States remains to be finalized.

US and Armenian officials announced in January a preliminary agreement outlining the establishment of an entity, TRIPP Development, that would manage the corridor. The agreement sketched TRIPP Development’s ownership structure but left operational details to be settled at a later date. Since then, there has been lots of positive talk, but little action to get TRIPP Development up and running.

In late October, the Armenian parliament formally approved a bill authorizing the formation of TRIPP Development. Signaling that official Yerevan wants to keep things moving along quickly, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that officials were not waiting for TRIPP Development’s incorporation, and will immediately begin preparatory work on the corridor, which eventually could include a road, railway, power and fiber-optic transmission lines, and energy pipelines.

“After the establishment of TRIPP Development, the results of the work will be transferred to it,” Pashinyan told MPs on November 2.

TRIPP, or the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, was the centerpiece of the provisional peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, brokered by the US president in August 2025. The corridor will traverse Armenian territory to connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave and is envisioned as a key node in an evolving trans-Caspian trade network.

Launching TRIPP Development is not the only challenge facing the corridor: Russia and Iran both have come out against the route, wary that it will disrupt north-south trade between the two states. Moscow and Tehran are also suspicious of a likely US security presence in the region connected to TRIPP.

Armenia has gone on a diplomatic offensive to assuage the Iranian leadership’s concerns. In Tehran, Armenia’s ambassador to Iran, Grigor Hakobyan, met with a delegation of Iranian MPs on November 2, briefing them “on the latest agreements regarding the TRIPP project.” 

A few days earlier, Iran’s envoy to Armenia, Khalil Shirgholami, met with reporters in Yerevan, telling them that Tehran was keeping an open mind. But, choosing his words carefully, he indicated that Iran would have little tolerance for any American security presence as part of TRIPP’s operations. 

“It is important for us [i.e. Iran] that during the discussion of the TRIPP project or any other matter, the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Armenia are respected. It is also important that no third party can create a challenge for the strategic relations between Armenia and Iran,” he said. “We will remain committed to this approach during the discussions and further work between the two countries.”

Meanwhile, mutual rancor between Armenia and Russia continues to simmer. The Kremlin has reportedly threatened to cut off crucial gas supplies to Armenia unless Yerevan abandons its efforts to make a geopolitical pivot away from Moscow towards the West.

Pashinyan has remained defiant in the face of growing Russian pressure. Speaking at a forum in Brussels on November 4, he predicted that Armenia would be ready to apply for EU membership no later than 2028.

“For our people, democracy is not a matter of circumstances. It is a strategic choice,” he said. “The European Union is one of the main partners of the Republic of Armenia in the democratic reform agenda implementation.”


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Turkish Press: Armenian PM Pashinyan plans Türkiye visit for COP31 summit

Emil Lazarian
Daily Sabah, Turkey
Nov 5, 2026

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced Thursday plans to travel to Türkiye’s southern resort city of Antalya for the COP31 U.N. climate summit, in a visit that comes amid ongoing efforts to normalize relations between the two neighboring countries, state-run Armenpress reported.

“Yes, I plan to go to Antalya to participate in the COP,” Pashinyan told reporters during a briefing.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan invited Pashinyan to the summit during their meeting in New York in September, where they discussed efforts to normalize relations between the two countries.

COP31 will take place Nov. 9-20, bringing together world leaders, experts and civil society representatives to discuss international efforts to address climate change.

The conference’s leaders’ summit is scheduled for Nov. 11-12.

Turning to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Pashinyan said Armenia had “exhausted” its interest in the military alliance.

“I want to state once and for all that our interests in the CSTO have been exhausted,” he said during a briefing.

His remarks came after CSTO Deputy Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov said that there was no question of expelling Armenia from the organization.

However, he said an upcoming CSTO Council meeting could result in the application of Article 25 of the organization’s charter, which would suspend Armenia’s right to nominate candidates for quota-based positions and its voting rights until it settles outstanding membership fee arrears.

Armenia suspended its participation in the CSTO in February 2024 and has since stopped taking part in the organization’s activities and paying membership fees.

Pashinyan also said Armenia did not intend to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), while reiterating plans to apply for European Union membership in 2027 or 2028.

“We have not started preparations to leave the EAEU. We are preparing to offer our people alternative options, as we promised. Our people must have the opportunity to choose,” he said.

Pashinyan said Armenia would follow the necessary procedures before holding a referendum on leaving the EAEU and joining the EU.

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Armenia To Remain In EAEU Membership As Long As It Sees Fit, Minister Says

Alex Jidarian
Eurasia Review
Nov 5, 2026
November 5, 2026

By PanARMENIAN

Key Takeaways:

  • Armenia’s Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said the country will remain in the Eurasian Economic Union for as long as it considers membership appropriate, while criticizing the “disgraceful terms” of its original accession and arguing that Armenia contributes more than it receives.
  • He stressed that each state has the right to decide independently whether to join or leave an international organization and affirmed that Armenia continues to meet all its EAEU obligations.
  • The remarks follow Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement that Armenia has no current plans to withdraw, even as partners have raised questions about its future direction and while procedures for a possible EU-membership referendum remain incomplete.

Armenia will remain a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) for as long as it considers membership appropriate, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said during a press briefing at the National Assembly.

“Armenia joined the EAEU on disgraceful terms. There were discussions about increasing our share, including proposals from various countries, not just ours, but there was no agreement,” Papoyan said, Panorama.am reports.

The minister stressed that each country has the right to decide independently whether to join or leave an international organization.

“We are members of the EAEU and will continue to remain in the EAEU for as long as we consider it right. We have fully fulfilled and continue to fulfill our obligations within the EAEU. Armenia contributes much more to the EAEU. Armenia should be receiving more from the EAEU than it currently does,” he said.

Papoyan’s remarks follow comments by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who said Armenia currently has no plans to withdraw from the EAEU, although its partners in the bloc have raised questions about the country’s future direction and the possibility of a referendum.

Pashinyan noted that a referendum on EU membership cannot yet be held because the necessary procedures have not been completed.

“In order to organize a referendum on Armenia’s accession to the EU, we must first go through certain procedures, and we are moving along that path,” he said.

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Armenia’s Karekin II to return to court as church-state tensions deepen

Frangulian Shushan
Intellinews
Nov 5, 2026

By IntelliNews November 5, 2026

The criminal case against Armenian Apostolic Church leader Catholicos Karekin II returns to court on November 6, with the proceedings yet to advance to trial as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan intensifies efforts to remove the head of the country’s dominant religious institution.

The prosecution of Karekin, 75, who has led the Church since 1999, is unprecedented in Armenia’s modern history. The legal proceedings are part of a broader political confrontation, with Pashinyan’s government incorporating the Catholicos’ removal into its five-year programme.

“There is no other option, he must leave, and the state will use all the levers for this,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing in October, according to Factor.am. “He is a blasphemer, a blasphemer of the church, a blasphemer of the canons, and someone who has usurped the church, and he must leave.”

The preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 6, after the previous date of October 30 was postponed by a week.

Karekin is charged alongside six senior clerics from the Church’s Supreme Spiritual Council with using their official powers to obstruct a court ruling. The charges, brought under Article 507 of Armenia’s Criminal Code, carry penalties ranging from a fine to two years in prison, according to Forum 18, a Norwegian human rights organisation that promotes religious freedom. All seven defendants deny wrongdoing.

The case began with the dismissal of Bishop Gevorg Saroyan as head of the Masyatsotn Diocese on January 10, after he backed Pashinyan’s calls for a change of Church leadership. Saroyan challenged the decision in court, and a civil court in Armavir ordered his reinstatement on January 16 pending the outcome of his lawsuit. The Church refused to comply, arguing that such matters fell under its own canons, and defrocked him on January 27.

The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on January 29, charging six clerics the following day. Karekin was charged on February 14. 

The defence argues that the prosecution violates the Church’s constitutional autonomy. Article 41 of Armenia’s constitution grants religious organisations independence, while a 2007 law recognises the Armenian Apostolic Church as self-governing.

The authorities deny targeting religious institutions, saying the case concerns individual alleged offences.

Three judges have handled Karekin’s case since August, with the first formally recusing himself and the others transferring or referring it on jurisdictional grounds. The Justice Ministry has asked the Supreme Judicial Council to discipline the judge who withdrew, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty‘s Armenian service reported.

A wider political confrontation

The dispute has its roots in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, over which the Church criticised Pashinyan’s handling of the war and his decision to cede territory to Azerbaijan. Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan led protests against the prime minister in 2024.

Pashinyan publicly demanded Karekin’s resignation in June 2025, also accusing him of fathering a child. Pressure on the Church’s senior clergy and their allies has intensified since then.

Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was jailed for two years in October 2025 for calling for the government’s overthrow. Karekin’s brother and nephew were detained the following month, while Galstanyan was placed under house arrest.

Pashinyan unveiled a Church reform roadmap in December and signed a plan to remove Karekin in January. Parliament approved the government’s five-year programme on August 25, while the prime minister has proposed a parliamentary commission to investigate the Church “crisis”, potentially paving the way for new legislation.

“The church is not the Catholicos; the church is the community of believers,” Pashinyan said, rejecting allegations that his efforts breached the constitutional separation of church and state.

The confrontation has geopolitical implications. The European Union has strongly backed Pashinyan as he seeks to reduce Armenia’s dependence on Russia, while Moscow has criticised the government’s actions against the clergy.

Pashinyan has accused the Church of acting as a proxy for Russian influence, without presenting evidence. Karekin and the Church deny the allegations.

The Armenian Bar Association, a diaspora lawyers’ body, said in August that the prosecution raised “serious concerns” under international human rights law. A joint statement in July from groups including the Helsinki Committee of Armenia and Christian Solidarity International accused the government of a “systematic and sustained campaign” against the Church.

The defence has appealed to international institutions, sending letters to the European Union’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom on October 27. The letters call for public condemnation of the proceedings and for alleged violations to be raised with the Armenian government.

The court’s decision on the defence motions could determine whether the case proceeds to trial, is dismissed or is referred to the Constitutional Court.


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Ongoing judicial harassment against Nazeli Vardanyan

Emma Jilavian
Frontline Defenders
Nov 5, 2026

Ongoing judicial harassment against Nazeli Vardanyan

Status: 
On Trial
About the situation

On 29 October 2026, the Civil Court of General Jurisdiction of First Instance in Yerevan, Armenia, continued with the trial against woman environmental human rights defender Nazeli Vardanyan. These proceedings were brought by mining company, Lydian Armenia in February 2026, claiming defamation. Specifically, the lawsuit pertains to an interview the woman environmental human rights defender gave to an online media outlet, in which she expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the reopening and operation of the Amulsar gold and silver mine. The next hearing is scheduled for 3 December 2026.

About the HRD

Nazeli Vardanyan is an Armenian human rights lawyer and long-standing woman environmental human rights defender. She is the head of Armenian Forests NGO, an organisation that works to protect Armenia’s forests through the promotion of reforestation, advocacy, education and community engagement. She has been actively engaged for many years in legal and public advocacy concerning the Amulsar gold mine and its environmental, social and human rights implications.

Meet Nazeli Vardanyan
5 November 2026
Ongoing judicial harassment against Nazeli Vardanyan

On 29 October 2026, the Civil Court of General Jurisdiction of First Instance in Yerevan, Armenia, continued with the trial against woman environmental human rights defender Nazeli Vardanyan. These proceedings were brought by mining company, Lydian Armenia in February 2026, claiming defamation. Specifically, the lawsuit pertains to an interview the woman environmental human rights defender gave to an online media outlet, in which she expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the reopening and operation of the Amulsar gold and silver mine. The next hearing is scheduled for 3 December 2026.

Download the Urgent Appeal

Nazeli Vardanyan is an Armenian human rights lawyer and long-standing woman environmental human rights defender. She is the head of Armenian Forests NGO, an organisation that works to protect Armenia’s forests through the promotion of reforestation, advocacy, education and community engagement. She has been actively engaged for many years in legal and public advocacy concerning the Amulsar gold mine and its environmental, social and human rights implications.

The hearing which took place on 29 October 2026 is a continued act of judicial harassment against the woman environmental human rights defender, pursued by Lydian Armenia. On 26 February 2026, legal proceedings against Nazeli Vardanyan were announced by the company as a direct result of her interview to the media outlet Panorama.am, published on 20 January 2026. In this interview, she raised concerns about the long-term environmental impact of the Amulsar mining project. In its statement, Lydian Armenia claimed that the comments made by the human rights lawyer “appear to be deliberately aimed at damaging Lydian Armenia’s business reputation and discrediting the Amulsar Project.” In the lawsuit, it was requested that Nazeli Vardanyan retract her statement and pay AMD 6,000,000 (approximately EUR 13,000) in damages to the mining company.

Many Armenian human rights defenders have raised concerns about the environmental implications of the Amulsar gold mine, including potential risks to water resources and biodiversity. The mine began official operations on 10 October 2026. On 12 October 2026, Armenian civil society organisations issued a public statement challenging the reopening. They called for a further environmental assessment and review of the decision that authorised the mining operations.

Grave concerns have been voiced by human rights defenders in relation to the “gifting” of 12.5% of the company shares of Lydian Armenia to the Armenian Government. This could be interpreted as the legitimisation of the company’s activities by the state. Lydian Armenia’s statement about their pursuit of legal action against Nazeli Vardanyan echoed a similar sentiment, suggesting that the woman environmental human rights defender’s comments were damaging not only to the company, but also to the “the legitimate interests of the citizens of Armenia,” as the mining project is held to be of “significant economic importance for the Republic of Armenia.”

This is not the first time Lydian Armenia has targeted environmental rights defenders. Environmental rights organisation, Green Armenia, documented that the company filed at least 19 Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation between 2018 and 2020. The company’s own statement noted that Nazeli Vardanyan was presented with a SLAPP suit by the company in 2020 where she was unsuccessful. This case was referred to the European Court of Human Rights which, in a recent communicationtion stated that there had been a violation of her right to freedom of _expression_, contrary to article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Since December 2025, Lydian Armenia has been targeting another woman human rights defender, Tehmine Yenoqyan, for her social media post which documented damage the Amulsar mine construction has inflicted on water supply pipes. Similar to the lawsuit against Nazeli Vardanyan, the company is requesting damages and a statement of retraction.

Front Line Defenders is gravely concerned about the ongoing judicial harassment of woman environmental human rights defender Nazeli Vardanyan. The organisation believes that the defender is being targeted in connection with her legitimate and peaceful human rights work, including her efforts to raise legitimate concerns about the environmental and human rights implications of mining activities. Front Line Defenders remains concerned about the use of SLAPP lawsuits which are used against human rights defenders and journalists in Armenia. Such lawsuits have a chilling effect on the activities of human rights defenders, particularly in relation to matters of public interest.

Front Line Defenders call on the authorities in Armenia to:

  1. Immediately drop the unfounded charges against Nazeli Vardanyan;
  2. Restrict the use of lawsuits, similar to that of Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation which prevent human rights defenders from carrying out their work;
  3. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Armenia, including environmental rights defenders, are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free from all restrictions, including judicial harassment.

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