- Robert Zargarian
Armenian law-enforcement authorities have raided a shopping center just outside Yerevan to effectively shut down yet another business asset of Gagik Tsarukian, a wealthy businessman who challenged Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian in last month’s parliamentary elections.
Investigators sealed off dozens of kiosks and shops located inside the Arinj Mall without any explanation on Monday. The market, which is part of Tsarukian’s Multi Group conglomerate, has remained closed since then.
Hundreds of traders and other people working there demonstrated on Thursday to demand that the authorities allow the shops to reopen. Riot police were deployed to prevent them from blocking an adjacent road.
“They said, ‘Get out, you’re not working here anymore,’” one woman told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “Where should I go with my two kids?”
“We have received no notifications,” said another trader. “What we request is that they reopen our shops so we can get back to normal work.”
Some of the protesters complained that they are not even allowed to retrieve their personal belongings from the sealed premises.
“My driving license is in there,” said one man. “So I can’t drive my car.”
Armenia’s Investigative Committee said later in the day that the shops and other “unauthorized structures” of the Arinj Mall were sealed off because they lie below high-voltage power lines and therefore pose a “threat to the life and health of citizens.” The protesters dismissed the explanation, pointing to ongoing construction at a nearby site also located under transmission lines.
The Armenian government’s construction and fire safety inspectorate told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service it that it was not involved in the closure in any way. It said it found safety violations at the Arinj Mall and briefly shut it down about two years ago. The market reopened its doors after quickly eliminating those violations, according to the agency.
The Investigative Committee similarly raided dozens of Multi Group companies and halted their operations during Tsarukian’s arrest on unrelated fraud charges on July 6. The law-enforcement agency has accused some of them of tax evasion but has still not clearly explained the closure of the others. Thousands of their employees remain out of work.
The Armenian government officially seized two of those companies, a cement plant and a large fitness center in Yerevan, last week. Tsarukian’s legal team and Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) denounced the move as illegal.
The BHK was one of the three main opposition groups that ran in the June 7 parliamentary elections. Pashinian has repeatedly pledged to jail and “dispossess” their top leaders. Tsarukian’s representatives as well as other government critics portray Pashinian’s statements as further proof that that the post-election crackdown is politically motivated.
Dozens of other Armenian opposition leaders, members and supporters have also been arrested in recent months, facing various charges denied by them. The arrests continued even after the disputed elections.
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Court Refuses To Free Armenian Oppositionist Reelected To Parliament
- Astghik Bedevian
A court in Yerevan on Thursday refused to set free an opposition lawmaker who was reelected to Armenia’s parliament last month almost one year after being arrested on coup charges rejected by him as politically motivated.
The lawmaker, Artur Sargsian, has been standing trial along with Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian and his 16 other supporters accused of plotting “terrorist acts” in a bid to seize power. Sargsian was moved to house arrest in December.
Sargsian’s lawyer Aram Vartevanian petitioned the judge presiding over the trial to free him two days after his client formally became a member of the new parliament elected on June 7. Vartevanian cited a 2021 Constitutional Court ruling whereby individuals holding the status of parliament deputy cannot be jailed and prosecuted without the National Assembly’s permission.
Trial prosecutors countered that the outgoing parliament, which will not be formally disbanded before August 2, already lifted his immunity from prosecution last July. The presiding judge, Karen Farkhoyan, sided with them.
“The Constitutional Court’s precedent-setting rulings do not apply to this case,” he said.
Farkhoyan also ruled that Sargsian, who is affiliated with former President Robert Kocharian’s Hayastan alliance, can attend sessions of the new parliament under police escort.
Armenia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) pointed to the Constitutional Court’s decision on Wednesday when it refused to allow prosecutors to arrest Narek Karapetian, the incoming parliamentary leader of the opposition Strong Armenia alliance. The CEC said they can only indict him.
Karapetian is facing criminal charges related to the June 7 elections as are dozens of arrested members and supporters of the bloc led by his uncle, billionaire Samvel Karapetian. Two of them, Davit Ghazinian and Hayk Sukiasian, were also elected to the new parliament.
Ghazinian’s trial is scheduled to begin on Friday. Vartevanian, who also represents him and is affiliated with Strong Armenia, said he will petition the presiding judge to release him from custody. The lawyer insisted that Sukiasian must also be set free because of having become a parliament deputy.
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RFE/RL – Kocharian’s Bloc Picks New Parliamentary Leader
Former President Robert Kocharian’s Hayastan alliance, one of the two opposition groups holding seats in Armenia’s parliament, named on Thursday a new leader of its parliamentary group.
In a short statement, it said Kocharian and the 12 members of the recently elected National Assembly representing Hayastan selected the 35-year-old Anna Grigorian for that role during a meeting in Yerevan. They also discussed their “forthcoming actions,” it said without elaborating.
Hayastan’s 28-strong faction in the previous parliament was led by former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanian. The latter did not run in the June 7 parliamentary elections but participated in some of the bloc’s campaign rallies.
Grigorian, who has a large following on social media, was third on the list of its election candidates topped by Kocharian. Like other senior Hayastan figures, she is a vocal critic of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, having regularly lambasted him on the parliament floor for the last five years. Pashinian lost his temper and threatened to jail opposition leaders after one such verbal attack in May 2025.
Hayastan finished third in last month’s elections with almost 10 percent of the vote, according to their official results rejected by it and other major opposition groups as fraudulent. Despite the vote-rigging allegations denied by Pashinian’s party, Kocharian’s bloc and billionaire Samvel Karapetian’s Strong Armenia alliance decided earlier this month to take up their parliament seats.
But as was the case after the previous elections held in 2021, Kocharian again ceded his seat to another Hayastan candidate.
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Iran, Iraq seek to strengthen bilateral ties as Pezeshkian meets al-Zaidi
An Iraqi delegation led by Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi arrived in Tehran on an official visit on July 23 and met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the IRNA news agency reported.
The officials underscored the importance of preserving and strengthening the deep historical, cultural, religious and people-to-people ties between the two countries as a foundation for expanding their strategic cooperation.
During the meeting in Tehran, Pezeshkian and al-Zaidi discussed key issues of mutual interest and ways to further develop and deepen bilateral relations.
They stressed the need to accelerate the full implementation of existing agreements between Iran and Iraq, describing it as an important step toward enhancing bilateral ties and serving the mutual interests of the two countries.
The two sides also highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation in the political, economic, trade, transit, energy and regional spheres by making greater use of their joint capabilities.
They emphasized the importance of maintaining close coordination and rapprochement, describing the opening of new avenues of cooperation as a strategic necessity for the future of Tehran-Baghdad relations.
The officials said that expanding comprehensive cooperation would not only help reinforce stability, security and prosperity in both countries but also serve the interests of the two brotherly nations and contribute to greater regional solidarity and cohesion.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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Moldovan parliament ratifies convention on compensation mechanism for damage c
This article is published under the cooperation agreement between Armenpress and Moldpres.
Moldova’s parliament on July 23 ratified the Convention on the Establishment of an International Claims Commission for Ukraine, signed in The Hague on December 16, 2025, Moldpres reported.
The document was adopted in its second reading with 62 votes in favor.
Doina Gherman, chair of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy, said the convention provides for the establishment, under the auspices of the Council of Europe, of an independent international administrative body — the International Claims Commission for Ukraine.
“The commission will examine and assess claims relating to damage or loss caused by internationally wrongful acts committed by the Russian Federation in or against Ukraine from February 24, 2022, and will determine the amount of compensation payable in each case,” Gherman said.
The damage covered includes loss of life, destruction of infrastructure and damage to property. Claims may be submitted by affected individuals and legal entities, as well as by the Ukrainian state, including regional and local authorities.
The commission builds on the UN General Assembly resolution on reparations for damage caused to Ukraine and represents the next step following the establishment of the Register of Damage by the Council of Europe in 2023.
The convention aims to ensure the Russian Federation’s international legal responsibility for violations of international law committed against Ukraine and to require it to provide full compensation for the damage caused.
Ratification of the convention does not make Moldova a party to an international dispute against the Russian Federation and does not impose any obligation on the Moldovan state to compensate affected persons.
To date, the convention has been signed by around 40 Council of Europe member states, as well as Canada and the European Union. It will enter into force, and the commission will begin its work, once it has been ratified by at least 25 states or regional organizations.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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Zelensky says U.S. has several plans to end Russia-Ukraine war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States has several plans aimed at ending the war between Russia and Ukraine and announced that he expects to visit the United States in the coming days or weeks.
“Yesterday, we spoke with Jared and Steve Witkoff. Kyrylo Budanov, Kyslytsya and Umerov also took part. We discussed the possibility of a meeting. The United States has several plans to end the war, which they will share with us. I believe they want to present their proposals to both us and the Russian side,” Zelensky said during a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.
The Ukrainian president said he does not yet know when the meeting will take place but believes it will most likely be held in the United States with the participation of the American side.
According to Zelensky, several possible dates are being considered, but the schedules of all participants must first be aligned.
“I think the meeting will take place in the coming days or within the next week,” he said.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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EU condemns Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia and attack on tanker in Red Se
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has condemned the Yemeni Houthis’ recent threats to impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, describing them as a threat to regional stability and a dangerous escalation.
In a statement, Kallas said the attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea was unacceptable and unlawful and further aggravated an already tense regional situation.
She stressed that freedom of navigation must be guaranteed in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, and that no obstacles should be created to international maritime traffic.
Kallas called on the Houthis to immediately cease all actions that endanger international shipping and to comply with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and UN Security Council Resolutions 2216, 2722 and 2826, which relate to Yemen and freedom of navigation.
According to the statement, the European Union’s ASPIDES naval mission will continue operating under its defensive mandate and approved operational plan to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and adjacent international waters.
The Houthis recently announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and, on July 22, struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. Riyadh confirmed that one of the tankers had been hit. A fire broke out aboard the vessel, but no casualties were reported.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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Washington must rethink its approach to dialogue with Tehran, Araghchi says
Negotiations between the United States and Iran will not be effective unless Washington begins taking Tehran’s interests into account, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on July 23.
“Until they understand that the only way forward is to respect the Iranian people and their interests, their actions will not be effective,” Al Jazeera quoted Araghchi as saying.
The Iranian foreign minister added that the problem lies in the nature of the U.S. approach, which he described as “irrational, exaggerated and based on domination.” According to Araghchi, Tehran responds firmly and decisively to such a negotiating stance.
Earlier on July 23, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump considers negotiations with Iran pointless because Tehran is clearly not inclined to reach an agreement with the United States, at least not one it would be prepared to uphold.
On the night of June 18, the United States and Iran signed a memorandum providing for a halt to the conflict that began on February 28. Since June 27, the United States has carried out targeted strikes against Iran in response to Iranian attacks on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Published by Armenpress, original at
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Armenian PM congratulates Egyptian president on Revolution Day
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia has sent a congratulatory message to President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt on the occasion of the country’s national holiday, Revolution Day.
The message, released by the Prime Minister’s Office, reads:
“I extend my warmest congratulations to you and the friendly people of Egypt on the occasion of the national holiday of the Arab Republic of Egypt – Revolution Day.
Armenia highly values the further expansion and development of multifaceted relations with Egypt, based on the centuries-old friendship and mutual respect between our peoples.
Egypt’s constructive role in promoting lasting peace and stability in the Middle East and Africa, as well as in creating opportunities for further prosperity, is highly appreciated.
I am confident that, through our joint efforts in the years ahead, we will succeed in bringing the economic relations between our two countries into line with the high level of political dialogue that already exists.
I wish you good health and every success, and the friendly people of Egypt lasting peace and prosperity.”
Published by Armenpress, original at
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U18 [Gibraltar] women fall to Armenia in Kosovo
22nd July 2026
The Gibraltar U18 women’s national team had a tough start to their FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket Division C campaign in Kosovo as they faced a very strong Armenia side.
Gibraltar found themselves behind after the opening quarter, with Armenia taking it 25-11. The second quarter proved just as difficult, with Armenia again edging it on points, 18-14, having already opened up a significant 18-point lead by half-time.
Reduced to just two points in the third quarter, Gibraltar’s challenge fell away as Armenia cruised to a convincing victory, eventually recording an 83-36 win.
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