- One Armenian soldier was killed by Azerbaijani fire along the two countries’ border, marking the first known army death in action since the fall of Karabakh in September.
- Pro-government lawmakers in Armenia’s parliament rejected an opposition-backed ballot initiative that would have criminalized recognizing Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan.
- The ruling Civil Contract party ousted a prominent opposition mayor in Armenia.
- A key border crossing with Russia has been reopened after hundreds of Armenian trucks were stalled there for a week, according to Armenia’s Economy Ministry.
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Uncertainties mount in bordering Kirants amid border demarcation
After a period of anti-government protests in Armenia’s Tavush region, the sound of border construction is now heard again. In May, residents in Kirants village, bordering Azerbaijan, took to the streets to protest Yerevan’s border delimitation and demarcation process, which includes the handing over of vital roads, bridges, and farmland to Azerbaijan. The demarcation has already split part of Kirants village and has led to the evacuation of a number of residents. CivilNet is in the region to understand the impact of this process on people.
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Hungary lifts veto on EU military aid for Armenia, Azatutyun
By Mark Dovich The European Union is expected to disburse nearly $11 million in non-lethal military aid to Armenia after Hungary lifted its veto, Radio Azatutyun, RFE/RL’s Armenian service, reported Thursday, citing unnamed diplomatic sources in Brussels. It would be the first time the EU has assisted Armenia’s army. “EU foreign ministers are now expected to give the final green light to the military aid to Armenia at their next meeting slated for July 22,” the outlet wrote. CivilNet was unable to independently verify the information. The funds, whose approval requires unanimity among all of the bloc’s 27 countries, are […]
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Pashinyan’s Ruthless Dilemma: A Talk With Ronald Suny
Ronald Grigor Suny, Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Michigan, Emeritus Professor of Political Science and History at the University of Chicago, and Senior Researcher at the National Research University – Higher School of Economics in Saint Petersburg, Russia, sits down with CivilNet’s Eric Hacopian to talk about Armenia’s domestic and regional challenges. Professor Suny holds Russia responsible for betraying Armenia during the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, and criticizes the U.S. for not taking practical steps to prevent autocratic Azerbaijan’s aggression against the democratic Armenian enclave.
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Celebrating 100 Years of Armenian Ballet
By Vartan Esenyan The Opera-Ballet Studio in Alexandropol-Leninakan (now Gyumri) became a vibrant hub for the arts from 1923-1926. It attracted distinguished artists such as Sharar Talyan, Haykanush Danielyan, Alexander Melik-Pashaev, and Levon Isakyan. This period saw the staging of world-renowned classical operas and operettas, including Bizet’s “Carmen,” Gounod’s “Faust,” and Kalman’s “Silva,” alongside numerous children’s operas. The first Armenian ballet production, “Gayane,” written in 1939 by Aram Khachaturian, premiered in 1942. It’s famous for its “Sabre Dance.” Aram Khachaturian’s “Spartacus,” winner of the Lenin Prize for composition, is another significant work that has been performed internationally and remains a […]
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Modern approaches for mental health recovery: Hovhannes Nikoghosyan
This episode explores the life of Hovhanness Nikoghosyan, from his childhood and education in Armenia and the US, to his life as the Executive Director of the Armenian Spiritual Revival Foundation, established by Noubar Afeyan in collaboration with the Armenian Apostolic Church. We explore important topics such as leadership, spirituality and the foundation’s work. Finally, Hovhannes shares his views on the importance of the church, history, human connections and working with grace. About Hovhannes Nikoghosyan Hovhannes Nikoghosyan is the Executive Director of the Armenian Spiritual Revival Foundation, an organization whose mission is to transform modern approaches to mental health recovery […]
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CivilNet Joins Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program in Armenia
CivilNet became the first Armenian news organization Tuesday to join Meta’s third-party fact-checking program in Armenia. CivilNet, whose fact-checking department has been certified by the non-partisan International Fact-Checking Network, will employ native Armenian language fact-checkers to review and rate the accuracy of content in Armenia. “CivilNet established a dedicated fact-checking unit in December 2021 to advance fact-checking journalism in Armenia. Our mission is to combat fake news, misinformation, and manipulation while educating the public about these issues. We are glad to start our fact-checking work on Facebook and Instagram, which remain key social media platforms in Armenia,” said Apo Boghigian, […]
