The man accused of murdering his three-year-old son in an Armenian village near Lake Sevan in 2025 has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Three-year-old Tigran Ovanesov, from the village of Tsapatagh in Gegharkunik Province, went missing on October 27, 2025, outside his home, prompting a massive search and rescue operation. 

He was found dead a few days later near the village.

Armen Ovanesov, the boy’s father, was named the prime suspect and jailed without bail.

Authorities said he strangled the child outside their home and then hid the body. Police said he had moved the body to various locations to prevent search and rescue teams from discovering it.

The motive was reportedly the man’s suspicion that he was not the child’s biological father.

Court documents showed that Armen Ovanesov was found guilty and sentenced to life by Judge Artavazd Karapetyan on March 25.

The Armenian national boxing team kicked off its first training camp of the year in the resort town of Tsaghkadzor in preparation for the World Boxing Cup – Brazil 2026.

Round 1 of the training camp will conclude on March 31, with another round scheduled to begin on April 4, the Boxing Federation of Armenia said in a press release.

Police and Investigative Committee officers have launched a joint raid at about 20 locations across Yerevan as part of a mafia crackdown.

Kima Avdalyan, spokesperson for the Investigative Committee, told Armenpress that the actions are part of ongoing criminal investigations and include all necessary procedural measures.

A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Armenpress that the raids are targeting suspected mobsters, or, as they described them, “individuals of the criminal subculture.”

Authorities said on Thursday that a criminal investigation into suspected arson has been launched in connection with the massive fire at the abandoned 4-storey Kanaz Culture Center building at 19 Azatutyun Street, Yerevan.

Multiple firefighting teams were dispatched to the building after a 911 call was made at 19:12. The fire was extinguished around midnight. Nearby residential buildings were evacuated as a precaution. No one was hurt in the fire. 

“A criminal case has been initiated regarding the fire that broke out on Azatutyun Avenue under Article 264, Part 2, Point 2 of the Criminal Code (destruction or damage of property committed by arson, explosion, or other generally dangerous method). A preliminary investigation is underway. Comprehensive examinations have been appointed,” the Investigative Committee said.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan highlighted on Thursday that peace is not only a political concept but also a socio-psychological one.

“I want to note and condemn all tendencies aimed at keeping our compatriots displaced from Karabakh—and the Armenian people in general—in a state of exile [mentality]. When we talk about the return agenda, considering what we clearly and obviously mean, we first prevent these people from finding peace and settling down. Peace is not only an agreement; peace is when a person is at peace. There is nothing more cruel and painful than waiting. But as a people, we have been living with this waiting for more than a hundred years. This is an imperial, anti-Armenian policy: ‘Do not be at peace; soon you will return or we will return, the international recognition of the Genocide will come, you will return to Van, Mush, Cilicia.’ This policy has two goals: first, to keep the Armenian people in an exile mentality; second, to prevent the Republic of Armenia from consolidating as a state,” the Prime Minister said at the Cabinet meeting.

Pashinyan emphasized that a country where the dominant socio-psychological mindset is one of exile, or wanderer, cannot become stable.

“We have established peace at the political level, but when we talk about care, it means that we also need peace at the socio-psychological level. Otherwise, we will not find peace and will lose it. Continuing these narratives leads us into conflict with everyone around us. Then we realize that our resources are insufficient and start seeking guarantees at the expense of our sovereignty, independence, and statehood,” Pashinyan noted.

The Prime Minister also addressed the view that the country had peace until 2020:

“We did not have peace; we had a frozen war. We postponed the war at the expense of our sovereignty, independence, statehood, welfare, freedom, and development. By 2016, all resources to postpone the war had already been exhausted,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan warned that if the return narrative is set in motion, it could lead to devastating regional consequences.

The Armenian government will showcase the military equipment acquired over the past few years during a May 28 Republic Day event in central Yerevan, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced on Thursday.

Pashinyan had earlier said that his government was considering displaying the armaments acquired during its term.

Asked at a press briefing whether a final decision had been made, he said:

“Yes, we have a final decision. On May 28, Republic Day, an event will be held at Republic Square in Yerevan that will be less of a military parade and more of a report to the citizens of Armenia. I want to say that we have been working—and continue to work—on this issue with our international partners. A military parade is, in general, a very sensitive event and could create the impression of deviating from—or even abandoning—the peace agenda. We are working and will continue to work with our partners in the international community, including the countries of the region, so that they do not interpret it in any way as a rejection of the peace agenda,” the Prime Minister said.

He recalled that at one point, citizens were invited to register to see the purchased military equipment; however, so many people signed up that carrying it out is no longer realistic.

According to the Prime Minister, the participation of such a large number of citizens would also lead to the spread of “distorted” information about the military equipment.

“I believe that the display of this military equipment will be an impressive sight for the citizens of Armenia,” the Prime Minister concluded.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday that his government is developing a new National Security Strategy of Armenia because the current one is largely “irrelevant.”

“It is clear that the current National Security Strategy is, at least in large part, irrelevant, and we are working on a new strategy,” the Prime Minister said at a press briefing when asked about the matter.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that he is rejecting the agenda of restoring so-called “historical justice,” emphasizing that pursuing such an agenda would lead Armenia to face new historical injustices.

He made the remarks at a press briefing when asked whether he considers the Azerbaijani military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023 to constitute ethnic cleansing.

“I consider that term to be harmful, because we may call it ethnic cleansing and, in response, receive mirrored accusations from them [Azerbaijan] of ethnic cleansing, genocide, and so on. That would mean entering a path of conflict,” he said.

“That is not my concern; my concern is what should be done so that our people displaced from Karabakh can find peace and have homes, jobs, security, safety, and freedom. That is what I am focused on,” the Prime Minister explained.

The Prime Minister stated that he is rejecting the agenda of restoring so-called historical justice.

“I believe we must pursue just reality, not the restoration of ‘historical justice,’ because the more we chase ‘historical justice,’ the more we will encounter new historical injustices. I consider it my duty to share this with our people,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, even for a prime minister, it takes courage to speak so openly about these issues.

“What gave me the final determination to speak openly and publicly about these topics was my interactions and discussions with citizens of Armenia over the past month. I see that this discourse has a direct and organic connection with the desires, goals, and aspirations of the people of Armenia, and we will move forward along this path,” Pashinyan said.

He expressed confidence that the people of Armenia will support this strategy, as it offers a significant opportunity to recognize their own interests.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Thursday, citing intelligence data, that contrary to widely held claims, Karabakh forces did not put up any significant resistance during the Azerbaijani military operations in 2023.

Speaking at a press briefing, Pashinyan said that up to 90% of the Karabakh military arsenal remained unused, according to intelligence assessments. He added that discussions held at Armenia’s Security Council produced findings that contradict claims that resistance in Karabakh was sustained “until the very end” in September 2023.

“I would prefer not to address this topic, but I want to say that after the 2023 events, a meeting of the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia was held, where the outcomes of the military operations were analyzed. Without being able to disclose much, I want to note that claims about fighting and so on are, to put it mildly, not consistent with reality, because according to data available to our intelligence—and not only intelligence—the vast majority of the available weapons and ammunition, perhaps 80% or even 90%, remained untouched,” Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister also referred to preceding political processes, noting that prior to the military actions, an opportunity had been created for political solutions; however, according to him, certain representatives of Karabakh’s leadership obstructed that process.

“Before that, we had created an opportunity for a political process to take place, and certain representatives of the ruling circles in Karabakh not only hindered it but also carried out a change of power in Karabakh,” he said. According to Pashinyan, the September events occurred shortly afterward.

Pashinyan also asserted that some representatives of the former authorities of Karabakh left the region while accusing the Armenian government of keeping the borders closed.

“I said that the border is not closed, but I also want to note that I warned representatives of Karabakh at the time that if they left, there would be no possibility of return,” he said.

Addressing claims that the events in Nagorno-Karabakh amount to genocide, the Prime Minister said it is necessary to refrain from competing in such characterizations, emphasizing the importance of achieving peace in the region.

“It is enough to feed our people with claims about new genocides, and this race of genocides must stop altogether. In our region, everyone accuses everyone else of genocide,” he noted.

Pashinyan emphasized that the main goal of Armenia’s policy is to establish peace and focus on the Republic of Armenia.

“Our policy and strategy are as follows: we must become peaceful. As Charents once said, ‘There is the Republic of Armenia, and nothing else.’ Therefore, we must focus on the Republic of Armenia and build our lives there,” he said.

He did not rule out that additional data related to the 2023 events could be made public if necessary.

“As for these myths that they fought to the end and so on—if necessary, we will declassify that data. I am confident that this issue will unfold in due course; we will let it develop properly so that, as in the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiation process, I can make the right decision at the right moment and publish everything. It is false; no such thing happened. They fled, they escaped,” Pashinyan said, clarifying that he does not blame the people of Karabakh and that all accusations are directed at the Karabakh “elite.”

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not rule out the possibility of a Kazakh company taking over the concession agreement of the Armenian railways from Russia, but noted that talks are still ongoing. 

Pashinyan previously called for an end to Russian management of Armenia’s railway network, which operates under a concession agreement. He specifically stated that, in the context of current regional connectivity development projects, it would be preferable for another country—particularly one with friendly ties to both Armenia and Russia—to take over management. He argued that some countries might choose not to make shipments through Armenia due to Russian management of the railway system, thereby reducing Armenia’s competitiveness.

At a press briefing on Thursday, Pashinyan was asked to confirm or deny media reports that talks are underway on a potential Kazakh takeover of the management rights.

“We would not be opposed if it turns out that there is an understanding between us and Russia that the Kazakh company is acceptable for both sides. At the moment, negotiations are proceeding a little differently, as our Russian partners have not yet said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’ Such ideas exist, but they are still just floating ideas,” the Prime Minister said.

Pashinyan also noted that a few days ago, during a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the issue concerning the Armenian railway was discussed; however, he added that there is no news in this regard, and it remains a working process that continues.