On July 17, 2016, a group of armed men called the Daredevils of Sassoun took over a police station in Yerevan. They demanded the resignation of President Serzh Sargsyan, and the release of all political prisoners in Armenia. The hostage crisis lasted two weeks, and sparked widespread antigovernment protests throughout the city. Here are the key takeaways one year out from the deadly standoff.
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Never Forget, Never Repeat: Commemorating the Armenian Genocide
On this week’s Insights, host Eric examines the upcoming departure of EU Special Representative Toivo Klaar from his role in the South Caucasus. He analyzes what led to this change and considers its potential implications. The episode also touches on the ongoing recognition efforts for the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, keeping alive observations on justice and remembrance of the past.
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New reports emerge of damage to Armenian heritage in Karabakh
Ani Avetisyan Several reports showing visual evidence of the damage or complete demolition of cultural and religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh emerged in the past week. Among the destructed areas are the cemetery of Shushi near the Ghazantschetsots church, the Kanach Zham church also in Shushi and, more shockingly, the entire village of Karintak. Threats to Armenian cultural heritage in Azerbaijan have been voiced by a number of politicians, experts and organizations. In one of its several provisional measures, the International Court of Justice demanded that Azerbaijan take steps to protect the Armenian cultural sites in its territory, and punish the […]
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Demonstrators block roads to protest planned border demarcation
Controversy is raging over the Armenian government’s agreement with Azerbaijan to demarcate parts of the border which critics call a unilateral withdrawal from territory by Armenia. Residents of the affected area in Tavush have risen in protest, blocking vital roads and demanding a stop to the process. This CivilNet special report breaks down what you need to know about this developing story.
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Inside CFTJ’s demand for Azerbaijan to be investigated for genocide
The Center for Truth and Justice, a U.S.-based nonprofit, formally asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Azerbaijan’s leaders for genocide last week, marking the first such petition to the tribunal since Armenia joined earlier this year. CivilNet’s Mark Dovich traveled to The Hague, Netherlands, to observe the proceedings and hear firsthand from the CFTJ team about their groundbreaking work.
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Concessions In Tavush
In this episode of the Civilnet Podcast, host Patrick Elliott and Eric Hacopian unpack the border delimitation agreement with Azerbaijan starting in Tavush in Armenia’s northeast corner, followed by the landmark International Criminal Court case against Azerbaijan. They finish with the ongoing hunger strike by Ruben Vardanyan from his prison cell in Baku.
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Democracy Watch: Assault on opposition activist, attack on the media,
Introduction Welcome to DEMOCRACY WATCH, brought to you by CivilNet and the Regional Center for Democracy and Security. Weekly recaps will highlight and examine the pivotal challenges facing Armenia’s democratic institutions. Political Repression On April 15, opposition activist Samvel Vardanyan confronted ruling party deputy Hakob Aslanyan on a bus and began insulting him. After this incident, police officers arrived at Vardanyan’s home and detained him. On the trip to the police station, the officers stopped the car and left, claiming they needed to relieve themselves. Vardanyan reports that masked individuals then approached the car and began assaulting him. They spat […]
