CIVILNET

CivilNet’s Eric Hacopian spoke with Anna Grigoryan, opposition MP from the Armenian Alliance, about her political journey from supporting the 2018 revolution to becoming one of the government’s sharpest critics. Grigoryan discusses the unreleased 44-Day War report, the Washington Accords and the so-called “Trump Road”, Armenia’s pivot to the West, and the government’s handling of Artsakh refugees...

On October 3, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was sentenced to two years in prison under the Criminal Code for  “making public calls aimed at seizing power, violating territorial integrity, or overthrowing the constitutional order, using publicly displayed works, mass media, or information and communication technologies.” The charge is based on an interview he gave more than a year ago, in which the c...

📍 Armenia’s former president Robert Kocharyan has confirmed that his political team will take part in the 2026 parliamentary elections.📍 The government has established a new department within its foreign ministry dedicated to European integration.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan was sentenced to two years in prison, found guilty of making public calls to seize power.📍 The introduction of universal health insurance in Armenia will cost the state about $785 million a year, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan announced. Citizens will pay around $35 per month, with fees covered for many.📍 Armenia’s income declaration system: Step-by-s...

📍 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met today in Copenhagen, Denmark, in a rare in-person exchange aimed at advancing regional cooperation and peace efforts.📍 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed remarks made by Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan yesterday, saying that those who speak against Armenia’s sovereignty should be removed from the co...

This week on Insights, Eric Hacopian unpacks Armenia’s planned military budget cut, the ruling party’s strategy heading into 2026, and National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan’s controversial comments. What do these moves mean for Armenia’s security and political future?#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

📍 Turkey’s national airline has announced that it plans to launch flights to Armenia, though no date or route details were provided.📍 The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Azerbaijan to provide a detailed report on the detention and health conditions of 23 Armenian prisoners held in Baku.📍 Armenia has delayed parliamentary hearings on the probe into the country’s defeat in the 2020 war...

CivilNet sits down with Berj Apkarian, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Fresno, to talk about his 15th medical mission to Armenia. This year’s mission features a high-level delegation of physicians from the Cleveland Clinic, University of California Irvine, Washington University, and University of California San Francisco. Apkarian, who was recently awarded the title of Honorary Profe...

📍 In a rare diplomatic exchange, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Ukraine met in Poland on the sidelines of the Warsaw Security Forum.📍 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe today, speaking on Armenia’s democratic development and the peace process with Azerbaijan. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

The Anti-Corruption Committee  recently closed  a criminal investigation into alleged illegal donations to the ruling  Civil Contract  (CC) party in 2022. The case, which had been opened on the grounds of large-scale unlawful campaign contributions, was terminated without any prosecutions. This decision, coupled with clear violations in CC’s financing process, raises serious concerns about the tra...

📍 Armenia and the United States have launched negotiations on a cooperation agreement for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.📍 Armenian police announced they have solved the high-profile murder of Valodya Grigoryan, the mayor of a Yerevan suburb gunned down last week. Two people were arrested, one of whom confessed, and the weapon was retrieved by police.📍 Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan used hi...

📍 Nikol Pashinyan once again suggested that in the long term, the government may not operate ENA, the country’s national power company. Pashinyan’s government nationalized the company earlier this year, which is subject to an ongoing international arbitration claim.📍 A new agreement will allow cross-border trading between the Armenia Stock Exchange and Warsaw Stock Exchange, raising hopes for in...

On the second anniversary of Ruben Vardanyan’s capture and detention in Baku, CivilNet’s Eric Hacopian speaks with his son, David Vardanyan. They discuss the conditions of Ruben Vardanyan’s imprisonment, the disappearance of the Red Cross from Azerbaijan, the fate of the other 23 Armenian hostages, and the international community’s silence. David highlights the urgent need for global action, U.S....

This week on Insights, Eric Hacopian focuses on Armenia’s growing economic disruptions — cargo delays, pipeline “repairs,” and trade barriers that are hitting farmers and drivers. He also delves into the striking surge in Armenia’s IT sector, as well as the Armenian hostages held in Baku and what more must be done for them.

Some poets speak to nations. Others speak to hearts. Avetik Isahakyan did both. The Avetik Isahakyan House Museum invites visitors to reflect on the life of one of Armenia’s most soulful poets. From the tragic sweep of Armenian history to mystical gardens inspired by Persian verse, Christopher Atamian traces the emotional arc of Isahakyan’s life and literary work. A story of love, exile, resilienc...

CivilNet speaks with Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., a renowned civil rights leader, author and faith leader, during her visit to Armenia. In this interview, Dr. King reflects on her family’s legacy, shares her message of faith and unity, and discusses her hopes for Armenia’s future. She speaks about the importance of peace, the idea that humanity is one race under God, and t...

📍 Valodya Grigoryan, mayor of a Yerevan suburb, was shot dead. Despite a nationwide manhunt, the suspect has yet to be found. Earlier this year, Grigoryan’s brother was arrested in connection with another deadly shootout in the same village.📍 Boris Avagyan, a former special representative for the president of Artsakh and a Russian official, was found dead today inside the Armenian consulate in S...

Hidden among the fruit orchards of southern Armenia lies the village of Zangakatun, home to one of the country’s greatest literary voices — Paruyr Sevak. In this episode, Christopher Atamian visits the poet’s house museum, where murals, memories, and manuscripts bring his story to life. From his humble beginnings to his mysterious death, Sevak’s legacy remains etched in Armenian identity. Meet the...

CivilNet spends a day with Finnish border officer Mika Kouri and German police officer Swantje Meinke on Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan. They are part of the EU Monitoring Mission conducting daily patrols to record ceasefire violations and refute disinformation in a tense area. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 Armenia’s Defense Ministry receives regular advisory support from France and the United States, Defense Minister Suren Papikyan said at the NATO Parliamentary assembly seminar in Yerevan. He added that Greece also provides systematic assistance in several areas.📍 Housing certificates for families displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh will now be valid until the end of 2028, the Ministry of Labor and...

In the twilight of the Soviet Union, a house was built for an artist the regime couldn’t quite contain: Sergei Parajanov. Join Christopher Atamian at the Parajanov Museum in Yerevan, where collages, costumes, and surreal cinematic fragments reveal the inner world of the Color of Pomegranates director. From censorship and imprisonment to global admiration, Parajanov’s voice still rings strange, def...

📍 Delegations from Azerbaijan and Turkey are taking part in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s 108th Rose-Roth Seminar in Yerevan.📍 Marta Kos, the European Union’s Enlargement Commissioner, told reporters in Yerevan that the EU is open to welcoming new members, including Armenia. While acknowledging that full membership remains a distant goal, she stressed that introducing reforms to align with E...

Step into the world of Lusik Aguletsi — Armenian artist, folklorist, fashion icon, and cultural guardian. Born in a now-destroyed Armenian village in Nakhichevan, Aguletsi spent her life collecting and preserving the textiles, jewelry, recipes, rituals, and oral traditions of a lost world. Christopher Atamian takes us inside her stunning Yerevan home, now a museum that feels less like an archive a...

Joining CivilNet today for an exclusive interview is Varsen Aghabekian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Palestinian National Authority. This conversation comes ahead of the UN General Assembly session which will discuss the New York Declaration, an outline of a roadmap toward a two-state solution. The meeting coincides with a growing number of countries including the UK, Por...

Step inside the Yerevan home of Yeghishe Charents — poet, revolutionary, nationalist, and cultural rebel. Christopher Atamian explores how the poet flirted with futurism, communism, and forbidden love while forging a poetic voice like no other. From banned manuscripts buried underground to modern musical tributes, the Charents House Museum reveals a writer whose contradictions made him unforgettab...