- Shoghik Galstian
The Armenian and Russian governments have not reached any agreements on the future of Armenia’s rail network managed by Russia’s state-owned railway monopoly, Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian indicated on Wednesday.
“There is nothing concrete at the moment,” Grigorian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service.
The Russian Railways (RZhD) monopoly controls the network in accordance with a 30-year management contract signed in 2008. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said on February 13 that it should be run by another, non-Russian company because its current status discourages Turkey and Azerbaijan from using a much larger section of Armenian territory for transit purposes in the near future. He suggested that another Turkic country, Kazakhstan, could be interested in taking over it.
The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed Pashinian’s statement as “bizarre” and “not acceptable.” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk similarly said that there are “no objective reasons” for RZhD to sell its management rights to another foreign operator. He brushed aside Pashinian’s declared rationale for such a deal, arguing that Turkey is already building a railway that will run from the eastern Turkish city of Kars to Azerbaijan’s Nakhichevan exclave bypassing Armenia.
In an interview with the official TASS news agency published on April 2, Overchuk also threatened far-reaching retaliatory measures against Yerevan’s efforts to push RZhD and other major Russian companies out of Armenia. The interview followed Pashinian’s tense talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin held in Moscow. Putin implied that Armenia would pay a heavy economic price for its government’s continued drift to the European Union.
Pashinian said afterwards that he discussed the railway issue with Putin “in detail.” He did not report any agreements reached by them. He also said he is “not planning” to unilaterally scrap the management contract with RZhD.
“We need to find solutions,” Grigorian said in his regard. He would not be drawn on Yerevan’s next steps.
“You know, it’s a pretty complicated issue,” said the vice-premier. “It’s not possible to say now that this is the solution we can come up with. It wouldn’t be serious.”
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RFE/RL – Karapetian Goes On Trial
- Naira Bulghadarian
Samvel Karapetian, a billionaire arrested by Armenian authorities ten months ago, went on trial on Wednesday less than two months before parliamentary elections in which his opposition movement is expected to be Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s main challenger.
Karapetian, 60, dismissed the charges levelled against him as “absurd” during the first court hearing in the high-profile case that lasted for a couple of hours. His lawyers petitioned the court to set him free pending a verdict in the trial, while prosecutors demanded a three-month extension of his house arrest. The presiding judge is expected to announce his decision at the next hearing scheduled for Friday.
The tycoon refused to answer questions from journalists as he was escorted by police officers to and out of the courtroom. His lawyers made sure that journalists are not allowed by the judge to film the opening session of the trial.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Karapetian supporters demonstrated outside the court building in Yerevan in a show of support for the tycoon. They included Gohar Ghumashian, a senior member of Karapetian’s Strong Armenia party who was arrested on Tuesday on vote buying charges strongly denied by her. Another judge released Ghumasian from custody the following morning, rejecting prosecutors’ demands to place her under house arrest.
“Even if they arrest all members of our party, the people will stand with us,” she said, addressing the crowd.
Karapetian was arrested last June hours after condemning Pashinian’s attempts to depose the top clergy of the Armenian Apostolic Church and vowing to defend it “in our way.” The statement provoked a series of furious social media posts by Pashinian. The latter pledged to “deactivate” him.
“Now I will interfere with you in my own way, you scoundrel … I hope the taste of the state will remain in your mouth,” Pashinian wrote shortly before Karapetian’s arrest.
Karapetian was initially accused of calling for a violent overthrow of the government. Law-enforcement authorities also charged him with tax evasion, fraud and money laundering in July after he decided to run in the June 2026 elections.
His movement, which spawned Strong Armenia earlier this year, has since emerged as one of the country’s leading opposition groups. It held a massive rally in Yerevan on April 11.
Strong Armenia has nominated Karapetian the post of prime minister despite the fact that he is not eligible for the top government job because of his dual Russian citizenship. The party has pledged to remove the constitutional hurdle if it wins the elections.
Karapetian’s lawyers argued in the courtyard that he should be set free in order to be able to hold a pre-election party congress next week. They dismissed witness tampering concerns cited by prosecutors, saying that none of the suspects or witnesses in the case gave incriminating testimony against their client during the pretrial investigation.
“There are also no risks of him committing a crime as he has an enviable biography,” said one of the lawyers, Aram Vartevanian. “Nor is there any risk of him fleeing justice.”
Born and raised in Armenia, Karapetian has mainly lived Russia since the early 1990s, making there a fortune estimated by the Forbes magazine at over $4 billion. He has financed many charity projects in Armenia as well as Nagorno-Karabakh and made lavish donations to the Armenian Church. He never showed an interest in political activities until his arrest.
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Film: Armenian independence documentary released online after years-long legal
A documentary film chronicling Armenia’s path to independence has been released online following a protracted legal dispute between its creator and the country’s public broadcaster.
Hovhannes Movsisyan, Executive Director of Armenia’s Public Television, announced that Our Road to Independence, a documentary by filmmaker, screenwriter and publicist Tigran Paskevichyan, is now available on the broadcaster’s official YouTube channel.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Movsisyan said the film, previously described as “banned”, was relased after a recent court ruling determined that the author had violated the broadcaster’s copyright. He also noted earlier breaches of contractual deadlines by the filmmaker.
“Now that Public Television’s rights have been restored and with the approval of the Public Broadcaster’s Council, we are making the film publicly accessible so that audiences can evaluate it themselves,” Movsisyan said, adding that he considers the matter closed.
The documentary, commissioned by Public Television and completed in 2020, examines the political struggle in Armenia between 1988 and 1991, a pivotal period leading to independence. Despite being funded by the state budget, the film had not been publicly screened for several years. Legal action by the broadcaster had previously blocked all forms of exhibition, including cinema screenings.
Speaking to Panorama.am earlier, Paskevichyan suggested the lack of release was politically motivated. He argued that the current authorities are attempting to reinterpret Armenia’s modern history, particularly the events surrounding the Karabakh movement.
“I have created a film based on factual evidence,” he said. “Let viewers see those facts and compare them with the current political narrative.”
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Film: How to Catch the East Coast Premier of Armenian Film “In the Land of Art
The following announcement was provided by Belmont World Film:
As part of Armenian Heritage Month, Belmont World Film’s 24th International Film Series presents the East Coast premiere of the Armenian film In the Land of Arto, on Monday, April 20, at 7 p.m. at the West Newton Cinema (1296 Washington St.). The screening will be followed immediately by a discussion led by Diana Hayrapetyan, Professor of Armenian at Harvard University and a PhD candidate at the Strassler Center for Holocaust Studies at Clark University.
The feature film debut of director Tamara Stepanyan is set in in Armenia, including the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, the site of the ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians until their expulsion in 2023, and the seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaijanis until their expulsion during the 1990s.
The film stars Camille Cottin (Call My Agent, House of Gucci) as a wife who travels to Armenia to legalize her husband’s death, only to learn that he lied about his military service, that he fought in the war, usurped his identity, and that his former friends consider him a deserter.
Belmont World Film’s 24 th International Film Series, “Thicker Than Water,” runs Mondays at 7 p.m. at the West Newton Cinema through May 18. After a two-week break, the series continues with the observance of Pride Month on June 1 and World Refugee Awareness Month on June 8 and 15.
The films in this year’s series, which are followed by engaging discussions led by filmmakers and expert speakers, explore the ties that bind — and sometimes limit — through an intimate and far-reaching collection of stories about families in all their complexity. They span four continents and feature ten different languages, including Arabic, Armenian, Greek, Darija, Dutch, French, Greek, Greenlandic, Quechua, Spanish, and Ukrainian — reflecting the many voices and vantage points that shape our shared human story. All of the selections were official entries at the world’s major film festivals, with several receiving top honors.
Individual tickets are $14 in advance (no fees) and $16 at the door. “Passports,” which can be shared with one other person, offer eight films for $96. Memberships, which include tickets or passports and other benefits, such as the ability to exchange tickets for free, are also available. EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholder tickets and passes are half-price. For tickets, passes, or more information visit www.belmontworldfilm.org or call 617-484-3980. Like us at www.Facebook.com/BelmontWorldFilm or follow us on Instagram @Belmont_World_Film or X at @BelmntWorldFilm.
Belmont World Film is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting cross-cultural understanding through the medium of cinema. Since 2002, Belmont World Film has been committed to showcasing international films, hosting educational programs, and fostering dialogue to create a more inclusive and interconnected global community.
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Pashinyan Praises Business Leaders as Armenia Enters New Economic Growth Phase
On April 13, Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, held a working breakfast with representatives of the country’s largest employers. Opening the meeting, Pashinyan stated that the invited participants were among those companies that have generated the highest number of jobs in Armenia and expressed his appreciation for their contribution. He emphasized that since 2018 these businesses have largely aligned with government policies, resulting in the creation of 288,000 jobs. “But it is obvious that we did not create these jobs, it was you who created them,” he stated, noting that while state policies helped shape a favorable environment, the private sector played the decisive role. He also recalled the government’s pre-election commitment to create at least 25,000 jobs annually, underlining the importance of maintaining this momentum.
During the discussion, Pashinyan addressed the growing role of artificial intelligence in the economy, pointing to both its opportunities and risks, particularly regarding employment. He emphasized the need for thorough analysis and coordinated efforts to ensure a smooth transformation of the labor market. “We need to understand what we have to do, in what directions we need to cooperate in order to ensure the correct transformation of the labor market,” he stated. The Prime Minister added that in recent years the government has invested billions of drams into modernizing the economy, highlighting the Economic Modernization Program as a key driver of progress. He also noted that, despite challenges such as the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the war, Armenia has maintained an average economic growth rate of around 7%, thanking the business community for its role in this achievement.
Touching upon social and economic policies, Pashinyan spoke about the implementation of universal health insurance and the importance of employers in expanding its coverage. He further outlined the government’s approach to job creation, stressing that able-bodied individuals should secure their livelihoods through employment. “We will accompany a person on the path to finding a job,” he stated, explaining that under the updated system, individuals would be offered specific job opportunities, and repeated refusal could lead to reassessment of their eligibility for support. He underlined that education and its transformation remain essential to ensuring people can effectively integrate into the workforce.
Pashinyan also highlighted that Armenia is entering a new phase of economic development linked to the ongoing peace process with Azerbaijan. He noted expectations of significant developments, particularly the launch of the TRIPP project, which he said would fully eliminate the country’s blockade. He pointed out that rail freight transportation through Azerbaijan is already possible and being carried out, while exports can also be conducted via Georgia. “This railway will never be closed. In other words, it is a reliable route for both import and export,” he stated, emphasizing the strategic importance of reopening railway connections.
Concluding his remarks, Pashinyan stated that since 2018 Armenia’s gross domestic product has grown by 53%, reaching a stage where relations between businesses, the state, and employees must evolve. He stressed the importance of continued dialogue with the private sector and thanked business leaders for their role in the country’s transformation. “Armenia has never had such an unprecedented period of opportunities in its history,” he stated, highlighting the need to make full use of these prospects. He added that the government cannot achieve these goals without the active participation of key economic actors, describing this as his main message.
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Blogger Lapshin Banned from Entering Armenia. Belarusian Authorities Might Hav
April 15 2026
Blogger Lapshin Banned from Entering Armenia. Belarusian Authorities Might Have Contributed to This
The incident occurred on April 5 at Yerevan airport. As before, blogger Alexander Lapshin was detained at passport control, but this time he was informed that entry to the country was completely closed for him and he had to leave. However, he was not provided with any official documents explaining the reasons, writes “Radio Svaboda”.
Prior to this, Lapshin tried to obtain an electronic visa using his Israeli passport, but for the first time received a refusal. Therefore, he decided to fly without it and apply for a visa upon arrival, but he was denied there too. He still has friends in Armenia, as well as an apartment and personal belongings, as he had lived there for several years before.
Officially, the blogger was told the ban was due to his publication of an interview with a former Armenian prisoner of war who spoke about torture in Azerbaijani captivity. According to the Armenian side, such materials could harm relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The blogger himself considers this explanation illogical.
Unofficially, however, he was told that the problem might be that he had been repeatedly detained in Armenia at the request of Belarus, and this simply annoyed local services. In total, there were seven such detentions.
Lapshin’s problems with Belarusian authorities began in 2016 when he was detained in Belarus and extradited to Azerbaijan due to a criminal case for visiting Nagorno-Karabakh. There, the blogger was convicted, but later pardoned. After this, he filed a complaint with the UN, which recognized that his rights had been violated.
In subsequent years, Belarus continued to accuse Lapshin, and in 2024 he was for the first time detained in Armenia at the request of Belarus, but not extradited. Later, such detentions recurred. Lapshin even appealed to an Armenian court, which recognized that Belarus’s accusations did not comply with local laws, but this did not stop the detentions.
Now, after a complete entry ban, the blogger says he has almost no legal means left to change anything. He has sent a request to the Armenian authorities to receive an official explanation, but there has been no response yet.
https://nashaniva.com/en/392924
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Jack Topalian: How One Armenian Actor’s Unshakeable Identity Fuels a Thousand
The steadily-working artist speaks Armenian, Russian, and fluent Hollywood.
Jack Topalian is known to casting directors as “the man of many faces” for his remarkable ability to portray a wide range of characters and ethnicities with authenticity. A multitalented artist, he works as an actor, screenwriter, producer, and director. Topalian is also skilled in numerous accents, including Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Armenian, Turkish, New York/Brooklyn, Italian, and Greek, and is fluent in English, Armenian, and Russian.
Born in Armenia, Topalian emigrated to the United States at age 10. He grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he initially found success as a businessman. In his 40s, however, he chose to pursue his lifelong passion for acting. After studying at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, he relocated to Los Angeles in 2012 to further his career in film and television, training with some of the industry’s top acting coaches.
Topalian quickly attracted the attention of casting directors and producers, landing guest-starring roles in popular television series such as NCIS: Los Angeles, Weeds, Ray Donovan, Transparent, Bones, True Detective, With Bob & David, Bosch, General Hospital, Major Crimes, SEAL Team, Madam Secretary, and The Blacklist.
His film credits include Shock and Awe, directed by Oscar-nominated Rob Reiner, in which he portrayed real-life Iraqi financier Ahmed Chalabi. He also appeared in the Oscar-winning film Argo, directed by Ben Affleck, and in Betrayal, where he played an Armenian mob boss seeking revenge. In Senior Moment, he appeared as a comedic cab driver.
In 2021, Topalian appeared in The Little Things, directed by John Lee Hancock. He later portrayed a shady crime boss in the 2022 indie hit Emily the Criminal. In 2024, he had a recurring role in the Hulu limited series Clipped, and in 2025, he appeared as Greek-Sal, a mob boss, in the HBO series Duster.
Looking ahead, Topalian is set to recur in the Apple TV+ series Sugar and is slated to be a series regular in the highly anticipated HBO drama Euphoria, where we caught up with him for an interview (edited for clarity).
How did you decide to enter acting?
In my childhood, I studied and played music. I had a band, and I played guitar. I enjoyed watching movies. Later, in my 40s, when I lived in San Francisco, I would take my two sons and my daughter to casting auditions. One day, they asked me if I wanted to be in the movies. That moment planted the seed. I began acting while still based in the Bay Area. Eventually, I moved to L.A. to pursue acting full-time.
How did you become affiliated with Arpa International Film Festival (Arpa Foundation for Film, Music, and Art)?
I’ve attended the festival in Hollywood several times. Silvia Minassian, the founder and president, recently invited me to serve as an award presenter at an upcoming festival, which is a great honor.
How did you segue into producing and working behind the camera?
I have made multiple short films and feature-length movies. These are films that I have written and directed, produced, and starred in. Aside from that, I like to write. I like to write screenplays. I started writing one day without formal training. I have stories that I wanted to tell. Later, I learned about Final Draft, a software tool that helps me organize everything.
My best preference is to be in front of the camera, to be an actor. But I also really love writing and directing. I think I am a good director because I understand actors well. I know what it is to be an actor in a good way; they can give you the best performance, so I enjoy all parts of it.
How do you master different accents?
I have friends of different ethnicities, and I have traveled to many parts of the world. So, I pick up the accents very easily. Also, I speak multiple languages, such as Armenian, Russian, and some Arabic. And if I have to speak another language for a role, they give me the script in that language. Once, I played an Afghan role and needed to learn Pashto, which is similar to Farsi. The studio had a language coach work with me for this role.
What are the challenges and rewards of being an immigrant actor?
Being an actor whose roots are in another country has never been a problem for me. I’m very proud to be Armenian, and all who know me or work with me know this.
What do you do for self-care after playing challenging roles?
I do my job and leave. I don’t take the role home with me.
What projects are you working on?
I have a personal project. It’s something I’ve written: a contemporary Armenian story set in Glendale, Los Angeles, and Armenia.
What is your message to young filmmakers and actors?
If you have a story to tell, do it. There is an audience for it out there, whatever that story is. So whether you are writing or acting, pursue it and present it. Some people might not like it, but who cares? That’s life. People have different tastes.
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Opinion: A small SLC community creates a ‘new Armenia’
This article originally appeared in the Farewell print issue, in stands April 2026. It has not been updated and some information may be out of date.
The spirit of spring has sprung in Utah, and one local community is finding freshness as it hearkens back to its roots.
Utah Armenians are finding strength in heritage and a renewed sense of togetherness as they strive towards what William Saroyan as “when two [Armenians] meet anywhere in the world, [to] see if they will not create a New Armenia.”
With mountains, valleys
Armenians have longstanding roots in Utah. A small, mountainous Caucasian nation tightly-knit along ethnic, linguistic and cultural lines, Armenia boasts an astounding % literacy rate and a strong shared identity as the world’s Christian nation.
This closeness between Armenians can be felt as more to Utah. Nick Markosian, founder and president of Markosian Auto in Taylorsville, expressed pride in his Armenian heritage. His great-grandparents settled in Murray as refugees following the 1915 Armenian genocide. The Markosian Library of Salt Lake Community College’s Redwood campus is named for his grandfather.
“I remember his speech very well when he donated that library. He talked about the free enterprise system and just how proud he is to be an American,” Markosian said. When it came time for him to name his auto business, he opted not to Americanize his name as his grandfather had done. “People are way more accepting today than they were 50 or 60 years ago. I named it ‘Markosian’ because I am proud of my Armenian heritage, proud to be associated with it,” he said.
For Markosian, the Armenian story is a story of entrepreneurship. “The saying I remember my grandpa telling me more than anything else was, ‘All you have to do is a little bit more than what everybody else is wanting to do, and you will kick major butt’, and boy was he right about that,” he said.
Are you Armenian, am I Armenian?
Recent years have been marked with increasing desire among local Armenians to connect with each other. Professor Gohar Harutunyan, an Armenian native, got her bachelors’ degree at Columbia and PhD at Rutgers before deciding to teach at the U’s Eccles School in 2021. In her view, similarities between Utah and Armenia give the state significant staying power in the community.
Harutunyan said, “There are some aspects of Utah life which do remind me of Armenia. [People are] family oriented, friendly, and warm [… and] as in Armenia, I think Christianity is a big part of our identities.”
While nothing like the more robust Armenian communities in New York and New Jersey, Utah offers a more intimate version of Armenian sociality, especially during chance encounters. “Truly, when you meet an Armenian [in Utah], you just get each other. It goes without saying, just a special feeling,” Harutunyan said.
Mountain Wind
Utah continues to provide new and interesting Armenian experiences for Armenians and non-Armenians alike.
The Utah Family Search library the growing work of Armenian genealogy, where any Armenian curious about their heritage can start their family tree. European Tastees, an Armenian-run world market 2005, prepares special-order Zhingyalov Hats (herb-stuffed Armenian flatbread) on Fridays and Saturdays. Most recently, in March, the Old Tiblisi Kitchen, an Armenian-Georgian restaurant, opened its doors in Midvale.
It is critical for Utah Armenians to engage meaningfully with these and other important artifacts of cultural identity, so that they are not erased forever.
The time of your life
My mother, who moved here from Armenia in 2001, has long been fond of the Armenian phrase, “ուր էինք, ուր հասանք,” or “look where we were then, and where we’ve arrived now.” During my childhood it felt like the Armenian diaspora had but a muted local presence with no real outlet. Mentioning “Armenia” garnered confused looks and raised eyebrows from classmates and teachers alike. My feet were firmly planted in two worlds, the American and the Armenian, feeling out of place in both.
Now in 2026, two years home from living in Armenia, all that has changed. Feeling Armenian in Utah no longer requires grasping at straws. New gathering places and an increased sense of togetherness have gelled Utah Armenians together in a way that not only congeals cultural connection but opens opportunities for non-Armenians to share the joy.
Saroyan said, “In the time of your life, live.” And so should the “New Armenia” grow to benefit all Utahns as they interface with a cultural heritage they have not before seen.
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It is time to form and strengthen the idea of a “collective opposition” in th
Ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, Armenia’s opposition field has largely taken shape, according to former Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. He noted that electoral lists have been published and programs presented, highlighting a shared agenda centered on peace, economic development, poverty reduction, restoration of justice, and national revival and unity.
“Now that the foundation has been laid, it is time to form and strengthen the idea of a ‘collective opposition’ in the public consciousness. This is no longer about individual efforts, but about a common goal. I am convinced that this collective opposition will win the elections.
However, winning alone is not enough. We need to set a higher bar. The goal should not be simply to prevent the return of Pashinyan to power, but also to ensure that his party does not even cross the threshold of entering parliament.
Only then will we be able to close the page of the past eight years and leave that period in history,” Oskanian stated.
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“I have not engaged in political activity, but my accusation is a case built
The first court hearing in the case of Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, representing the Diocese of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, has begun at the Armavir Regional Court of General Jurisdiction.
Attorney Arsen Babayan stated that the prosecutor initially confirmed that no crime had occurred.
“The act being charged does not constitute a crime; therefore, it is already clear that the criminal prosecution must be terminated, as it should not have been initiated in the first place. We are requesting that the prosecution be stopped immediately,” Babayan said.
Arshak Khachatryan also stated that the accusations against him are based on what he described as the “delusions of certain individuals.”
“A situation arises where there is no physical evidence of a crime, no victim, yet there is a case file. We were previously told that even the drugs were ‘lost,’ the recipient is not present, and the alleged planter is not identified, yet somehow I have appeared in this case. I have not been involved in political activity, but this case is built with elements of pure political persecution; it is obvious that everything is false and fabricated,” he said.
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