| A brief account of H.G. Levon Zekiyan’s trip to the United States. |
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From 3rd to 13th June, H.G. Levon Zekiyan, President of the Padus-Araxes Cultural Association and
Director of the Summer Intensive Course of Armenian Language and Culture, paid a short visit to the USA.
He joined St. Nersess Armenian Seminary in Armonk, New York, where he participated in a scholarly conference on Evagrius Ponticus, titled ‘Sitting as a Stranger: Evagrius in the Desert and Beyond’, which took place from 4 to 6 June 2026. Evagrius is a Church Father whose influence on Armenian theology and spirituality has not yet been studied in depth. This high-level conference, which opened with a general Christian perspective stretching from East to West, was an important step in this direction.
On 10 June, Zekiyan Srpazan travelled to Washington, D.C., where he met the local Armenian community at St Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church on the evening of 11 June. He was welcomed by the community’s spiritual pastor, Rev. Fr. Hovsep Karapetyan, who also took part in the Evagrius symposium. Levon Srpazan delivered a lecture on the urgent need to keep the Western Armenian language and culture alive, the difficulties involved, and how to overcome them. A notable number of community members attended the lecture, as did a large group of young people who were taking part in an internship programme in Washington, D.C., organised by Dr Ruben Adalian. Fr Levon also provided detailed information about the Summer Intensive Course of Armenian Language and Culture in Venice, organised by the Padus-Araxes Association, encouraged the audience to support it and urged young people to attend.
On 12 June, the Bodurian family (Dr Edward and Ellen Bodurian) offered a dinner in honour of the Srpazan. During the dinner, donations were made to the Venice Summer Intensive Course.
On Saturday, 13 June, H.G. Levon Zekiyan left Washington, D.C, for Venice.
PADUS-ARAXES CULTURAL ASSOCIATION SECRETARIAT
Venezia, 20 June 2026
Armenian version attached
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—
California
Courier Online, June 22, 2026
1- Pashinyan May Strip the Citizenship of
Armenians Who Didn’t Vote for Him
By Harut
Sassounian
TheCaliforniaCourier.com
2- Pashinyan’s partner to participate in Global First Partners Academy in New York
3- Inside L.A.’s Armenian banquet halls, where the caviar flows and the party never stops
4- Free After 1,891 Days in Azerbaijani Captivity
5- No Red Carpet Tratment for Erdogan’s Visit to Los Angeles
6- Pashinyan will attend European Political Community summit in Baku if invited
7- Arman Tsarukyan Wins $5.7 Million on Jack After $1 Million Bet on Justin Gaethje
*******************************************************************************************************
1- Pashinyan May Strip the Citizenship of
Armenians Who Didn’t Vote for Him
By Harut Sassounian
TheCaliforniaCourier.com
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is becoming increasingly intolerant to all those who disagree with him.
In the midst of the June 7 parliamentary elections, Pashinyan illegally ordered the arrests of hundreds of opposition members and several parliamentary candidates; prevented the leaders of opposition parties from leaving the country; and threatened to imprison them and ban their political parties.
Next, Pashinyan may not allow Armenians who oppose him to vote at all and may strip them of their citizenship. Does anyone still think that the government can be changed through elections?
The latest problem began when Pashinyan heard that a large number of Armenian citizens living in Russia were planning to travel to Armenia to vote in the June 7 parliamentary elections. Initially, he falsely claimed that he was not worried about them, since he was certain that they would be voting for his political party. However, not believing his own claim, he announced that they would be intercepted when entering Armenia and subjected to a 25-day military training. In addition to preventing these Armenians from voting, he denigrated the patriotic act of military service by presenting it as a form of punishment.
When Armenians ask why Diaspora Armenians who are not citizens of Armenia are not allowed to vote in the Armenian elections, I tell them they should be much more concerned about the fact that around one million Armenian citizens, who have lived abroad since the country’s independence, are not allowed to vote in their homeland’s elections, unless they are in Armenia on election day. No one has the right to deprive Armenian citizens who live overseas of exercising their fundamental right to vote. This is why over 150 countries allow their overseas citizens to vote.
The problem became much more serious after Pashinyan’s government decided to place residency requirements on Armenian citizens who travel to Armenia to vote. To make sure that never again those who are opposed to the regime can fly to Armenia at the last minute to vote, Pashinyan’s parliamentary allies announced last week that they are planning to amend the law to require that all citizens who come to Armenia from overseas to vote can only do so if they have lived in Armenia for at least six months prior to the elections.
This is wrong and discriminatory. Pashinyan has no right to treat the citizens of Armenia who live overseas as second-class citizens. No one has the right to deprive Armenian citizens of the right to vote.
Instead of recognizing that the Diaspora is a valuable asset, Pashinyan is trying to discourage its members from any involvement in their homeland. The Diaspora is much more than a “milking cow.” They can contribute to Armenia’s prosperity through their investments and expertise. A small nation, having survived centuries of persecution, massacres and even genocide, should not be split into smaller factions. Pashinyan has already divided them into former vs. current leaders, Hayastantsis vs. Artsakhtsis, Hayastantsis vs. Diasporans, and now internal vs. external citizens. He should follow the call for unity issued by prominent poet Yeghishe Charents: “Oh, Armenian people, your only salvation is in your collective power.”
When Pashinyan first came to power in 2018, he dismantled the Diaspora Ministry, the only existing link between Armenia and the Diaspora. Instead, he created “The High Commissioner’s Office of Diaspora Affairs of Armenia” headed by Zareh Sinanyan, who proceeded to destroy all the bridges between Armenia and the Diaspora. Pashinyan himself has made derogatory remarks about Diaspora Armenians, while meeting with them during his travels overseas.
Ironically, Armenia’s enemies, Azerbaijan and Turkey, are the ones that recognize the importance of the Diaspora. Over the years, both Pres. Erdogan of Turkey and Pres. Aliyev of Azerbaijan have repeatedly commented that they have excellent relations with the Armenian government, but they are alarmed that “the powerful” Diaspora is interfering in their plans to exact maximum concessions from Armenia.
The Turkish and Azeri governments have given specific instructions to their embassies and consulates to follow closely the activities and statements of local Armenian communities. They monitor the Armenian media to be aware of the messages they communicate and the activities they are planning. The collected information is transferred to the foreign ministries of Azerbaijan and Turkey.
A recent example is the “Diaspora Mobilization Conference” which was held in Paris on April 11-12, 2026 in the presence of 170 Armenian activists from 26 countries, including three former Prime Ministers of Armenia and representatives from the Artsakh government.
Ilaha Khantamirova, an analyst at the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVIM) based in Ankara, wrote an extensive two-part analysis of the Paris conference. Here are excerpts from her report: “Pashinyan stands out as the first political leader in the history of independent Armenia to openly antagonize both the Armenian Church and the Diaspora. In particular, his shift in rhetoric regarding the Karabagh issue in recent years — has caused serious rifts within Diaspora circles. Pashinyan’s explicit acknowledgment that Karabagh constitutes Azerbaijani territory…signifies a major departure from traditional Armenian nationalist discourse.”
Khantamirova also mentioned my speech at the Paris conference: “The proposal to establish a ‘Diaspora Parliament’ — put forward by writer Harut Sassounian — is significant insofar as it illustrates the magnitude of the tension that has currently emerged [between Armenia and the Diaspora].”
How can the leaders of Azerbaijan and Turkey be more interested in what the Diaspora is saying or doing than the Prime Minister of Armenia?
*******************************************************************************************************
2- Pashinyan’s partner to participate in Global First Partners Academy in New York
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s partner, Anna Hakobyan, will participate in the Fourth Annual Global First Partners Academy, taking place in New York City from June 26 to July 4, 2026.
The prime minister’s decree authorizing the trip was published online on Monday
*******************************************************************************************************
3- Inside L.A.’s Armenian banquet halls, where the caviar flows and the party never stops
By ANI DUZDABANYAN, Los Angeles Times
It’s 6 p.m. on a Saturday, and a convoy of luxury cars
accompanied by four police motorcycles lines up in front of Landmark Venue in
Mission Hills. It’s not an official diplomatic delegation but an Armenian
wedding arriving to the party after a ceremony at St. Leon Cathedral in
Burbank. The newlyweds, Nelly Nazarian and Sahak Ter-Sahakyan, slowly emerge
from a white Rolls-Royce and enter the venue on a red carpet, accompanied by a
live violin performance.
Inside, the tables are set with thousands of candles and
a sea of white roses in tall vases reaching toward the 25-foot ceiling strung
with pearls and wisteria. Plates of chi kyufta, lean raw meat kneaded with
bulgur, aromatics and spices, sit alongside enough caviar to accommodate bumps
the size of golf balls for 450 guests. And in the back, two cooks are making
2-foot-long khorovats: The hundreds of skewers of pork, beef, chicken and lamb
appear occasionally through the smoke on the grills.
“I’ve always wanted a big wedding,” Nazarian
says. “As Armenians, it’s important to keep the traditions alive. We also
wanted to do some new things so our guests of all generations could enjoy
it.”
Parties like theirs are part of Armenian American culture
in Los Angeles, and their foundation is the Armenian banquet hall, built for a
community that values outsize celebrations: hundreds of guests, extravagant
decor, massive dance floors, famous singers and DJs, flowing wine and tables
laden with food.
In the past 40 years banquet halls have evolved to
embrace more of kaleidoscopic L.A. — including quinceañeras, bar mitzvahs,
nonalcoholic “coffee raves” — extending a collective notion of
hospitality, culinary ideas and the importance of gatherings.
“The most important change in the banquet halls is
the easiest one to picture,” says Vrej Sarkissian, chief executive of
Anoush Catering and L.A. Banquets. “You can see it on the table.” The
food is increasingly lavish and varied, and some new traditions have replaced
old ones. At the newlyweds’ reception, sushi boats and shrimp ceviche spoons
supplant tabbouleh. At midnight, instead of the traditional pamidorov
dzvadzegh, or tomato omelet, for guests who want to sober up after too many
vodka shots, food trucks line up in front of the banquet hall serving pizza,
burgers and ice cream.
The first Armenian banquet halls opened in Hollywood in
the late 1980s and later spread to Glendale, Burbank, North Hollywood, Pasadena
and other areas of Los Angeles, as did the Armenian American community.
Rooted in community and resilience, the banquet halls
first established in Los Angeles became information hubs for immigrants
navigating the challenges of their new home. Banquet halls were where a parcel
could get dropped off to reach the airport or where Armenian newcomers could
learn about resources for government assistance. While the majority of these
venues are stand-alone businesses, some are affiliated with churches such as
Raymond and Ani Kouyoumjian Hall at St. Gregory Armenian Catholic Church or
Kalaydjian Banquet Hall and Cultural Center at St. Leon.
The banquet halls often offered many immigrants their
first employment. Some had degrees in science and education in their home
countries and were sensitive to a new reality. Sarkissian, whose family started
one of the first banquet halls in Los Angeles, remembers that his father acted
as a friend and counselor to a lot of immigrants who suffered extreme culture
shock.
“That restart proved to be very difficult, and my
father guided a lot of people,” said Sarkissian, “helping them
establish businesses, start or connect with families, continue education and a
plethora of resources.”
Sarkissian oversees Anoush, originally known as Anoush
Banquet Hall. Founded by his father, Sebooh Sarkissian in 1986, it was formerly
located on the corner of Sunset and Harvard in Hollywood. From the beginning,
Sebooh, his wife and three sons were involved in every aspect of the business
from moving the furniture to dishwashing to playing the latest hits during the
events as DJs.
Over the next three decades, Anoush expanded to seven
more locations in Glendale, North Hollywood and Mission Hills as a banquet hall
and catering business. Now, Anoush Catering & L.A. Banquets has two venues,
Gleonaks Anoush and Landmark.
“The food complements the way we like to
celebrate,” says Sarkissian. “The music is going, people are dancing,
and the food is always on the table! You’re doing a toast in 30 minutes with
your uncle, you’re dancing with somebody else later, and the good food is still
there!”
Food has always been at the center of Armenian
celebrations: As a minority community surviving far away from the homeland,
it’s a way to show solicitude in times of grief and the ultimate _expression_ of
sharing and partying.
Tables filled with food, cheerful toasts and a genuine
love for partying became popular with non-Armenian clientele too. The draw was
not only a variety of food choices but also the unique atmosphere: Guests dance
all night long to live performances, occasionally taking breaks for freshly
served khorovats; children sleep on the chairs completely unbothered by the
music and sing-alongs; grandmas and elderly uncles discuss the latest
developments in their families over cups of black coffee.
For a wedding with 250 guests at Vertigo Event Venue in
Glendale, at least four kitchen team members work 70 to 80 hours to prepare and
execute the event.
The food is typically served family-style: up to 20 cold
and hot appetizers of dips, salads, puff-pastry boreks, cheeses and cured
meats. Following are two to three entrees such as grilled fish with potatoes,
chicken with pilaf and, of course, khorovats, the traditional Armenian charred
meat. In the late 1970s chefs from prominent restaurants in Armenia traveled to
international culinary exhibitions in France, Greece and some Arab countries
and adopted innovative techniques. Prior to this, their menus already had been
enriched with the spices and flavors that many brought from Europe, the Middle
East and the U.S. during the Soviet-organized repatriation of the 1940s.
“It created a hug-bug buffet of sorts of these
beloved items that we put all together,” says Michael Keshishian, the
co-owner of Vertigo. “And when we came to the United States, we brought
that buffet with us. Somehow, Greek, Russian, Armenian, semi-Lebanese mixes of
these items landed on our table including the Greek cheeses, olives, Russian eggplant
and beet salads and some Persian dishes. We made the highlights of our top 20
favorite appetizers and kept our khorovats. That became the Armenian banquet
experience.”
The growing Armenian population’s demand for modern
trends in food and design, along with interest from other Angeleno communities,
created opportunities for nontraditional concepts such as cocktail receptions,
more-intimate parties, garden celebrations with various kinds of live
entertainment, fashion shows, concerts and seminars.
“Throughout the years, this concept proved to work
for our community,” says Sarkissian. “These events bring everyone
together. We do it really well, and we also set the trend for the other
communities.”
That became the foundation for Keshishian to launch Vertigo
in 2014 with four other investors.
A chef and event producer, Keshishian said he wanted to
revolutionize the entire menu, something that hadn’t been done yet. Even though
the chefs at banquet halls had added some new dishes to the core family-style
menu, such as Chinese chicken salad or mushroom quiche, they stayed true to the
traditional combination of charred meat, chicken kebabs, carrot and olivier
salads (cooked vegetables with mayonnaise and sour cream) and rice pilaf or
bulgur.
“I thought that it was stuck in an era that needed
to be unstuck. I took all of the classics, the entire menu of almost all the
existing banquet halls and created my version of a fusion Armenian banquet hall
menu,” says Keshishian.
In Vertigo’s kitchen its famous beet salad — made with
mayonnaise, walnuts, pomegranate and garlic — became a salad of cubed roasted
beets with goat cheese and strawberries, garnished with mint, balsamic
reduction, figs and candied walnuts with rosemary and cinnamon.
When Robert Shahnazarian, his wife, Maggie, and his
brother-in-law Sarkis Khatchikian founded Noor Events in the vibrant Paseo
Shopping Mall in Pasadena in 2010, they made sure to include fusion dishes like
bao buns and char siu to cater to the local Asian population. He also added
some of his father’s favorite Persian dishes, including ghormeh sabzi and
khoresh gheymeh.
Shahnazarian worked at Sony Music as a producer with
Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and others. When he and Maggie
married 30 years ago, they couldn’t find a venue that would meet all their
expectations and ended up having their celebration at a ranch in Malibu.
Everything from the furniture, portable kitchen, valet service and food was
catered. Noor Events became Robert’s executive business plan at Pepperdine
University, where he was working on an MBA degree.
“We decided to build a place with everything missing
elsewhere in mind,” says Shahnazarian. “The banquet halls are great
when they know our culture and food. But sometimes the location is not great,
they don’t have a view, the decor is kind of gold with lions. … People with a
budget end up going to the country clubs and hotels. But then the food is not
there!
“Weddings in particular are cultural events. And
Armenians, whatever event they are celebrating, have Armenian food.”
*******************************************************************************************************
When the war in Nagorno-Karabakh came to an end, Vicken
Euljekjian was captured by Azerbaijani soldiers. In an interview with
Blankspot, he recounts his 1 891 days in captivity, the years he spent in
solitary confinement, and the freedom he ultimately regained.
RASMUS CANBÄCK
Blankspot.se
It was late in the evening on 9 November 2020 when news
broke that the war in Nagorno-Karabakh had come to an end. At the time, Vicken Euljekjian, an Armenian-Lebanese citizen who had
emigrated to the breakaway region, was in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan.
His home near the town of Shushi — known as Shusha in
Azerbaijani — was about to fall under Azerbaijani control. He believed he had
until 1 December to clear out his belongings.
What he did not realize was that the village where his
house was located was not covered by that timetable. Hoping to salvage as much
as possible, he returned home with his friend Maral. It proved a costly
mistake. Azerbaijani troops detained them both and quickly separated them.
The next day, the beatings began.
“First they hit my right ear. Then the back of my neck.
The blows were so hard that my ears started ringing,” Euljekjian recalls.
Only later did he realize that he was being held at a
detention facility in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku.
“Since then, I have had hearing problems. I have lost
between 40 and 50 percent of my hearing in both ears. My spine was damaged so
badly that I now need support around my neck to hold my head upright.”
We meet at a café in Yerevan. Two childhood friends from
Lebanon accompany him, having travelled to Armenia to support him. He leans
forward as far as his neck brace allows in order to hear the questions. He
repeats them to make sure he has understood them correctly.
During the final period of his imprisonment, he was
confined to a wheelchair. At least he no longer needs it, but moving quickly
remains difficult.
Released on 14 January this year, Euljekjian spent a
total of 1,891 days — five years and two months — in Azerbaijani custody. His
friend Maral was released just a few months after the arrest.
Today, his medical treatment is being financed through
donations, support from friends, and assistance from an opposition political
party.
“There is both a lot and very little to say about my time
in Azerbaijan,” Vicken Euljekjian says.
Prison, he explains, is monotonous. Every day resembles
the last. The memories that remain most vivid come from the first seven months
of his captivity, when he was awaiting trial. At the time, he was being held at
a State Security Service detention facility in Baku, not far from the city’s
iconic Flame Towers.
“For about 20 days, the Red Cross managed to arrange for
me to share a cell with another Armenian prisoner. It was the only time during
those years that I was not alone. I had started hallucinating. I saw my mother
in dreams. But it did not last long.”
The arrangement ended, he says, because Azerbaijani
investigators had come to view him as a Lebanese terrorist.
A Lebanese terrorist?
“Yes. When they captured me, I gave them my Armenian passport.
Somehow they looked into my background and discovered that I was from Lebanon.
I confirmed it. Then they told me they would charge me as a Lebanese
mercenary.”
Euljekjian says he tried to explain that his family were
descendants of survivors of the Armenian Genocide.
“I told them, ‘I am Armenian by blood. My grandparents survived
the genocide of 1915.’”
There are currently more than 250 political prisoners in
Azerbaijan. Armenian detainees are rarely included in these counts. Today, an
estimated 19 Armenians remain in Azerbaijani custody.
According to him, the investigator responded that he had
never seen an Armenian passport.
“I had handed it to him only minutes earlier. It was
lying on the desk in front of him. But he repeated that he had never seen it
and locked it away in a safe. It was as if the passport had been erased from
existence.”
Soon afterwards, he says, he learned that the authorities
intended to film a video portraying him as a foreign mercenary. Because he
already understood Turkish, which is closely related to Azerbaijani, he could
follow much of what was being said.
“They accused me of receiving $2,500 a month from the
Armenian government. At that point I gave up. I told them: ‘OK, do whatever you
want.’ I understood that they were not interested in the truth.”
He nevertheless attempted to defend himself during the
trial.
“But it felt as though the verdict had already been
decided. The whole thing was theatre. You can talk until dawn and try to defend
yourself, but in the end it changes nothing.”
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and transferred to
Gobustan Prison, a high-security facility around 50 kilometres southwest of
Baku.
Just beyond the prison walls lie the famous Gobustan rock
carvings, a popular tourist attraction. Inside, however, was a very different
reality.
For decades, the prison has been criticized
internationally for poor conditions. In its most isolated section, in a small
cell with the number 85 on the door, the third cell from the eastern flank of
the building, where he would spend the next four years, Euljekjian lived
entirely alone.
When asked whether he was allowed to leave his cell, he
looks surprised.
“Leave the cell? No.”
Not once?
“No. Never.”
The cell measured roughly two and a half by four metres.
A small window near the ceiling allowed in some daylight.
“You have to understand how bad it was,” he says. “The
air was humid – suffocating. In summer the heat was unbearable. There were mice
everywhere. It was the worst place you can imagine.”
The loneliness set in quickly.
He imagined cracks in the walls widening into escape
routes. Perhaps the damp damage would soften the concrete. He pictured life
beyond the prison walls: tourists visiting the nearby rock carvings, his family
gathering for dinners without him.
The sense of loss deepened as one piece of bad news
followed another. One by one, people close to him died, and he was unable to
attend their funerals.
First, his father passed away. Then his brother. When his
mother died as well, without him having the chance to say goodbye, it felt as
though the walls were closing in around him. He tried to remember the last
words he had spoken to them. He hoped they had been something positive.
Outside the prison, his wife Linda struggled to keep the
family together. His late brother’s children moved in with her. Both children
of Vicken and Linda were forced to abandon their studies to help earn enough money
for the family to survive.
“A large part of my time in prison was spent imagining
that I was helping my family, making sure there was food on the table,” he says.
“It was a very difficult situation for my wife. All the bills that had to be
paid.”
For him, imagination became a routine.
Every small detail he learned about life on the outside
was woven into an imagined world in which he could still participate. When he
closed his eyes, he let conversations between family members play out in his
mind. He thought about what he would have said at the funerals. He
reconstructed the scenes, over and over again, inside his head.
Could you communicate with other prisoners?
“I need to repeat this: it was the worst place. I could
not speak to anyone. Other inmates at different quarters had access to a yard
where they could walk. We who were having a life sentence had nothing like
that.”
His gaze shifts for the first time during our conversation.
Tears begin to form.
The water, he says, was green. The food was barely
edible.
“Usually it was some mixture of pasta, buckwheat and
flour with boiling water poured over it. The bread was the only thing I could
eat.”
When representatives of the International Committee of
the Red Cross visited, he repeatedly asked them for one thing.
“Water. That was all I wanted.”
The delegates were foreign staff members working with the
ICRC mission in Azerbaijan.
How often did they visit?
“According to the rules, about once a month. In reality,
every 40 or 45 days. Maybe nine times a year.”
During the visits, he was allowed to speak with family
members for two minutes.
“After four years, even that changed. We could no longer
communicate through Red Cross channels and instead had to use a government
telephone.”
Was that your only human contact?
“Yes. And they were only allowed into my cell. I was
never allowed out.”
The visitors usually brought tomatoes and cucumbers.
Occasionally, a tube of melted cheese.
“I asked for more cheese so I could put it on the bread,
but they said it was not permitted. Once they brought me a cabbage. I marinated
it in salt water and tried to preserve it. After that I was not allowed cabbage
again.”
He also asked whether they could bring sausage or other
protein-rich food.
“The prison governor claimed it might spoil. I told him I
would eat it immediately. It made no difference.”
Eventually, Euljekjian told the ICRC delegates that there
was little point in visiting him.
“Three tomatoes and two cucumbers were not worth it.”
Yet the visits continued.
“They would not listen to me, so I kept eating their
tomatoes,” he says with a faint smile.
“As a foreigner, I had nobody to stand up for my rights.
Whenever I complained to the Red Cross, they referred me to the prison
administration. When I complained to the prison administration, they referred
me back to the Red Cross.”
According to Euljekjian, Azerbaijani prisoners enjoyed
significantly better conditions. Their families could visit more frequently and
many cells contained refrigerators.
What kept you alive?
“There was only one thing: the idea that I might eventually
get out.”
And a Bible.
“That was the only book I had. I brought it with me.
There were some Russian books in the prison, but I do not speak Russian.”
By late 2025, he began to sense that something might be
changing. During one visit from ICRC on Christmas day, he learned that discussions
were taking place about his deteriorating health.
The injuries he says he sustained during the first days
of detention had worsened to the point where he needed a wheelchair. Without
adequate medical care, walking had become increasingly difficult.
Before dawn on 14 January 2026, guards suddenly woke him.
“They told me to pack my things.”
He protested.
“I asked them to at least wait until sunrise so I could
see what I was packing.”
The guards refused.
“I wanted to know the truth. If I was being transferred
to another prison, I needed to think about what to take with me. If I was going
home, I would need nothing.”
Eventually, prison officials told him that he was being released.
“I said, ‘Then I do not need anything at all.’”
He smiles.
“But they suggested I at least put on my shoes.”
He was taken to the Lachin Corridor, the road that
between 2020 and 2023 served as the only connection between Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh. The route became internationally known after it was blocked
for nine months before Azerbaijan’s September 2023 offensive, which triggered
the mass exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians from the region.
Together with three other Armenian detainees — Gevorg
Sujyan, Davit Davtyan, and Vagif Khachatryan — he was handed over to Armenian
authorities.
Unlike the others, who had family in Armenia, Euljekjian
had spent most of his life in Lebanon. Upon arrival, he was taken directly to
hospital. He was allowed to stay longer than needed, while finding a solution
for accommodation.
Since then, he says, he has received support from the
opposition party Armenian Revolutionary Federation and from members of the
party’s Lebanese branch. They also helped pay for airline tickets for his wife,
Linda, who had, throughout the years, fought hard to raise awareness of her
husband’s case.
What was it like seeing your family again?
“Almost six years had passed since I last saw my
daughter. It took another four months after my release before she could come
here. We simply did not have the money.”
He pauses.
“Seeing her again is the best thing that has happened to
me. She was a teenager when I was captured. Now she is 24.”
How has prison changed you?
“I would never allow it to change me,” he says. “I am
still the same person I was before.”
5- No Red Carpet Tratment for Erdogan’s Visit to Los Angeles
By Garen Chahe Jinbachian
No airport welcome, no VIP photo ops, no City Hall visit. Not for Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan.He is, by all accounts, set to attend the World Cup match between the United States and Turkey at SoFi Stadium on June 25th.
His aim is clear: to hijack the World Cup as a political platform to normalize Ankara’s state-sponsored intolerance, repression, violence, and genocide denial; to cover up his crimes and rehabilitate his reputation; and to elevate himself at the expense of Los Angeles’s standing as a global beacon of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion.
This is classic sports-washing: using the goodwill, global attention, and unifying spirit of international sport – the world’s most celebrated athletic competition – to distract from his government’s abuses and burnish the image of his authoritarian regime. This is hardly new. Erdogan has repeatedly used major sporting events – from international football tournaments to Formula One races – as opportunities to divert attention from his government’s repression at home and aggression abroad – including military and material support for Azerbaijan’s genocide of Artsakh’s Armenians.
The leaders of the City of Angels – and the State of California—must be clear in refusing to let themselves be used as props in Erdogan’s political theater.
We must not allow international sport to be weaponized as a platform for propaganda. The World Cup should bring people together across nations and cultures, not provide authoritarian leaders with a platform to launder their reputations, obscure their abuses, and advance agendas fundamentally at odds with the values of Los Angeles.
Very simply, our civic leaders should neither embrace nor endorse him.
He should be shunned by city and state leaders.
No red carpets. No staged smiles. No photo ops.
Instead: principled distance, public accountability, and moral clarity.
We cannot – must not – let Erdogan abuse Los Angeles’s legendary hospitality to promote his ugly brand of hatred and intolerance.
6- Pashinyan will attend European Political Community summit in Baku if invited
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said he would travel to Baku to attend a future summit of the European Political Community if he receives an invitation.
Speaking during a government question-and-answer session in the National Assembly, Pashinyan said he was prepared to take part in the summit planned to be held in the Azerbaijani capital in 2029.
“I have already said that if there is an invitation to the European Political Community summit in 2029, I can say right now that I will go to Baku,” Pashinyan said.
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7- Arman Tsarukyan Wins $5.7 Million on Jack After $1 Million Bet on Justin Gaethje
Montreal, Canada (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has scored a massive payday on the Jack betting platform, turning a $1 million wager into a huge $5.7 million payout after Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria.
Tsarukyan placed the high-stakes bet on Jack in the lead-up to UFC Freedom 250. He backed underdog Justin Gaethje to beat then-undisputed lightweight champion Ilia Topuria at odds around +570.
The wager paid off in dramatic fashion when Gaethje pulled off a stunning upset victory by TKO (corner stoppage) at the end of Round 4.The viral moment has been heavily featured by Jack, with the platform sharing reels of Arman celebrating the enormous win. The $1 million bet returned approximately $5.7 million total, delivering a net profit of roughly $4.7 million for the Armenian fighter.
Arman had been openly confident in Gaethje leading into the White House event and was seen placing the bet live. The story quickly exploded across social media, with Jack’s official account highlighting the successful payout.
This headline-grabbing win on Jack comes amid the excitement of one of the biggest upsets in recent UFC title fight history. Justin Gaethje’s victory crowned him the new undisputed lightweight champion, while Arman Tsarukyan walked away significantly richer thanks to his bold bet on the Jack platform.
The event continues to generate buzz both for the shocking title change and for Arman’s memorable $5.7 million score on Jack.
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O’Dwyers PR
June 22, 2026
Mon., Jun. 22, 2026
By Kevin McCauley
Armenia’s US embassy has hired Tricuro LLC for strategic communications, PR, media relations and assorted advisory services.
According to its letter to ambassador Narek Mkrtchyan, Tricuro will assist the embassy in strengthening the country’s international communications and raising its visibility among investors, media and other influential audiences.
Tricuro will get involved in strategic messaging; pitch Tier 1 media outlets in the US and where appropriate in Europe, Middle East and Asia; prepare opinion articles; forge a podcast strategy; handle social activities; and support events.
The contract, which runs from May 13 to August 12, carries a $40K fee. At the expiration of the pact, both parties will discuss whether to continue the relationship..
Tricuro principal David Sowells handles the effort. He was a senior executive at Bell Pottinger and FleishmanHillard; served as PA director at CNN International and AOL Time Warner Europe; and was VP of the UK Satellite and Cable Broadcasters Group.
Earlier this month, Armenia and the US signed the framework for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, which is supposed to promote peace and trade in the South Caucasus region.
More stories from Kevin McCauley
Main Category: Foreign Government
Secondary Categories: Government, Lobbying, Politics
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Twasl News June 22 2026
AzerTelecom and Telecom Armenia sign an agreement on internet traffic transit
AzerTelecom and Telecom Armenia have signed bilateral agreements enabling the provision of international internet connectivity to Armenia through Azerbaijan.
Under the agreement, AzerTelecom, the region’s leading backbone internet operator, will expand the number of countries and its geographical reach in the supply of international internet traffic and will also provide internet traffic transit towards Armenia by leveraging its infrastructure.
Such agreements are aimed at diversifying connectivity routes in the region, further enhancing the reliability of telecommunications networks, and promoting cooperation in the telecommunications sector.
About AzerTelecom
AzerTelecom is a leading telecommunications company in Azerbaijan, providing wholesale internet traffic, communication services, innovative digital solutions, and other advanced telecommunications services. AzerTelecom is implementing the transcontinental Digital Silk Way project, which envisages the creation of a new digital corridor between Europe and Asia.
AzerTelecom operates within Azerconnect Group, which is part of NEQSOL Holding, an international group of companies operating in various countries and sectors.
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SABA. Yemen
June 22, 2026
Russian Foreign Ministry: Armenia Remains Member of Collective Security Treaty Organization
[Mon, 22 Jun 2026 20:26:06 +0300]
Moscow (Saba)
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed on Monday that Armenia remains a full member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), retaining all its rights and obligations.
The Russian news agency Sputnik quoted Zakharova as saying, “Armenia has refrained from participating in CSTO activities for more than two years, while remaining a full member of the organization, retaining all its rights and obligations.” She added that Moscow is convinced that Armenia’s resumption of its work in the CSTO is in the republic’s best interest, and that the organization remains a guarantor of regional stability.
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KAZINFORM
June 22, 2026
Azerbaijan has continued fuel supplies to Armenia and transit freight operations through its territory, dispatching another shipment of diesel fuel, Qazinform News Agency cites Trend.
Seventeen rail tank cars carrying a total of 1,000 tons of diesel fuel were sent to Armenia on Sunday.
A separate transit shipment from Russia to Armenia also passed through Azerbaijan. Eighteen rail wagons loaded with 1,260 tons of grain departed from Azerbaijan Railways’ Balajari station for the Boyuk Kesik station.
Fuel exports to Armenia began on December 18, 2025, when Azerbaijan delivered 1,220 tons of AI-95 gasoline.
Transit traffic on this route resumed after restrictions on the movement of goods between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which had been imposed amid the longstanding conflict between the two countries, were lifted under a decision signed by President Ilham Aliyev in October 2025.
Earlier, it was reported Azerbaijan’s industrial production increases in the five months of 2026.
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L’Orient Le Jour, Lebanon
June 22 2026
As summer approaches, salads are reclaiming pride of place on our tables. Here is a selection of Lebanese, Armenian, and reinvented recipes that chefs have shared with us.
L’OLJ / By L’Orient Today staff,
A selection of salads offered by Lebanese chefs. (Credit: Photos provided by the chefs)
During long, sunny days, our senses crave levity and freshness. Here are some simple and colorful salad recipes for a quick solo meal or to share with others.
Summer salads
Craving Lebanese flavors? Choose Carla Rebeiz’s frikeh salad, which is delicious as a starter or side. On the menu as well: Liza Soughayar Asseily’s baba ghanouj salad (eggplant puree), a recipe that balances creamy eggplant puree and the crunch of salad. Chef Liza Soughayar Asseily also offers her artichoke and pea salad (salatit ardichawkeh), enhanced by the tang of lime. And of course, don’t forget the unbeatable tabbouleh.
From Armenia
We also invite you to take a little detour through Armenia with chef Aline Kamakian, who shares two simple and delicious recipes. The first is itch: an Armenian bulgur and tomato salad. “At the start of summer, we used to gather with friends and family to prepare itch,” the chef recalls. A dish eaten with vine leaves to pinch each bite with your fingers. Second option: olive and walnut salad, a surprising, generous, and utterly addictive recipe.
The chefs indulge themselves
For a few more weeks, peas are in season. Now is the perfect time to try the pea salad with savory (or wild thyme), accompanied by its creamy pea soup from Michelin-starred chef Alan Geaam. An original creation, full of deliciousness. In a different style, chef Geaam also offers his cauliflower in two textures with avocado, mango, and cilantro. An original recipe to impress your guests. Chef Tarek Alameddine, for his part, shared with us a zoodle and fennel salad , a colorful dish topped with crumbled feta and caramelized pistachios for even more flavor.
Finally, fans of crunchy textures will enjoy the summer salad on a bed of kale chips. Meanwhile, those who want color, color, and even more color will be won over by the rainbow noodle salad, an ode to spring and sunshine.
This article was translated from L’Orient-Le Jour.
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