Lori Yeni-Komshian is an attorney who relocated from San Francisco to Armenia about a year ago to participate in human rights initiatives, including with the Center for Truth and Justice and the International and Comparative Law Center. Lori advocates for the release of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians in Azerbaijan, and is involved in comprehensive fact-finding investigations into reported atrocities. In this interview, Lori speaks to CivilNet about her work, the challenges she faces, and the significance of keeping a record of human rights violations and war crimes.
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Assessing support for Bishop Galstanyan’s protest movement
This week on Insights, host Eric Hacopian continues his analysis of Bishop Bagrat Galstyan’s protest march from Tavush to Yerevan. He closely examines the goals and message behind the high-profile demonstrations, and considers what the civil unrest means for Armenia’s political landscape going forward.
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World leaders should steer clear of Baku climate conference unless
By Hrair Balian World leaders who stand for a rules-based international order must decline participation in the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku during November, unless 23 Armenian political prisoners jailed illegally in Azerbaijan are released. On the surface, of course, the issues are unrelated. The UN has clearly not made democratic behavior a condition for hosting these conferences, which aim at finding ways for the world to collaborate on mitigating the effects of global warming. The last two summits were in Egypt and the UAE – hardly paragons of democracy. But Azerbaijan, one of the most […]
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Armenia’s ruling party frames anti-government protesters as ‘Russia-backed’ on social
By Tigran Grigoryan and Karena Avedissian Ruling party links protesters to Russia on social media accounts Leaders of the protest movement opposing the transfer of four Tavush villages to Azerbaijan are demanding the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. And in recent days, they have become targets of a coordinated social media disinformation campaign. A CivilNet investigation has found that the campaigns, mostly on Facebook, are generated by the country’s ruling party. Among the main targets is the leader of the protest movement Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the Primate of the Tavush Diocese. During the lead-up to and throughout the […]
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“I use art to raise awareness of Armenia’s rich culture,”
In this episode of Mindful Leaders, we explore the life of Stephany Sanossian, an artist and designer. Born in Aleppo, Syria, to Armenian parents with ancestral roots from Aintab, Stephany is an artist with a background in design. She left Syria to pursue her studies and passion in Barcelona, after which she settled in Dubai. Stephany’s life journey is a testament to her passion for and dedication to tradition combined with innovation. Her artwork interlaces the charm of Middle Eastern and Armenian art with contemporary flavors, complexities, and perspectives. Her collages and installations have gained global recognition and are showcased […]
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Independent audit finds more irregularities in Armenian ruling party’s finances
By Mark Dovich An independent audit into the financial reporting practices of Armenia’s ruling political party has found further irregularities, after separate investigations into Civil Contract’s finances earlier this year by CivilNet and Infocom, another local news site, raised concerns over how it sources campaign donations. CivilNet obtained a copy of the audit Monday from Armenia’s Corruption Prevention Commission, the government body tasked with overseeing political party finances in the country. The review, which covers Civil Contract’s finances for 2022 and was conducted by Trust Audit, a Yerevan-based auditor, found the party accepted a number of donations that were made […]
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Echoes of Déjà Vu: Reviving Resistance in Armenia
By Tigran Yegavian In the spring of 2024, Armenia is living through one of the most serious and decisive hours in its history as an independent sovereign state. For nearly four years, Armenia and the Armenian nation have been undergoing an interminable descent. The worst-case scenario is playing out at every level of society: defeat, mourning, territorial amputations, declining demographics, the inability of the elite and the country’s institutions to rise above disaster. Armenia is also bearing the brunt of successive leaders’ calamitous management of power and aggravating geopolitical circumstances. Its very existence is now threatened. Armenia’s territory has shrunk […]
