“Historic Disgrace”: Armenia Court Strips Artsakh Government of Its Last Official Presence in Yerevan
Armenia’s Administrative Court has ruled that the government authorities of the Republic of Artsakh no longer legally own their longtime representation building in Yerevan, siding with Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office in a decision that effectively transfers control of the property back under Armenian state authority. The ruling means that the Republic of Artsakh has effectively lost ownership of the building that for years served as its official representation in Armeni
International Human Rights Defenders Nominate Armenian POW and Philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan for Prestigious Václav Havel Human Rights Prize
Ruben Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Artsakh who is currently being held in a prison in Baku, has been nominated for the 2026 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize by a group of international human rights defenders and humanitarian figures. According to the statement released by the nominating group, the nomination is based on Vardanyan’s contributions to global human rights efforts through the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, as well as his public advocacy for the rights o
Armenian POW in Azerbaijan Appeals to World Over Alleged Rights Violations in Baku Trial, David Babayan Says Appeal Letters “Disappeared” in Azerbaijani Custody
Calling on the international community, human rights defenders, journalists, and democratic governments to pay attention to what he described as serious violations during ongoing court proceedings in Baku, former Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) Foreign Minister David Babayan has issued a new public appeal from Azerbaijani captivity. The audio message was provided to NEWS.am through Babayan’s family. In the lengthy statement, Babayan said complaint letters addressed to the appellat
Cemetery of Fallen Armenian Soldiers Desecrated by Azerbaijanis in Occupied Artsakh
The office of the Cultural Heritage Ombudsman of Artsakh has raised alarm over what it described as a new case of vandalism targeting Armenian cultural and memorial heritage in the temporarily occupied territories of Artsakh. According to a statement released by Cultural Heritage Ombudsman of Artsakh and Vice President of the Azgayin Cultural-Historical NGO Hovik Avanesov, the latest incident involves the cemetery of fallen freedom fighters in the village of Vaghuhas in the M
Armenian Genocide Memorial Destroyed in Stepanakert as Experts Warn of Systematic Erasure Under Azerbaijan’s Occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh
A senior cultural heritage official from Artsakh has raised concern over new evidence showing the destruction of an Armenian memorial in Stepanakert, warning that the incident is part of a wider pattern targeting Armenian historical and cultural sites. Hovik Avanesov, the Ombudsman for the Cultural Heritage of Artsakh and Vice President of the “National” Historical and Cultural NGO, says new documentation points to the complete removal of a monument dedicated to the 100th ann
Families of Armenian Prisoners Take Case to UN, Demand Immediate Release
International lawyers representing the families of seven Armenian hostages imprisoned in Azerbaijan have submitted an official petition to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, demanding their immediate and unconditional release. This was reported by the Artsakh Union and comes as part of ongoing international efforts to address the situation of Armenian detainees following recent conflicts in the region. The petition was submitted on April 24, 2026, the da
POW Ruben Vardanyan Transferred to Penitentiary Facility in Azerbaijan
Ruben Vardanyan, the former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, has been transferred to a penitentiary facility in Azerbaijan following his conviction earlier this year — a new phase in his detention, according to his legal representative. Human rights attorney Siranush Sahakyan confirmed in an interview with The Armenian Report that Vardanyan, along with other Armenian detainees, was moved in the past week from a pre-trial detention facility run by Azerbaijan’s State Securit
Ruben Vardanyan Urges Armenian Authorities to Secure Family Visits for POWs in Azerbaijan
From a prison cell in Baku, Ruben Vardanyan has called on Armenian authorities to take steps to secure family visits for Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan. His message was shared through relatives following a phone call and made public on Tuesday. In his appeal, Vardanyan addressed Armenia’s Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan. He said that Azerbaijan’s ombudsperson Sabina Aliyeva had told him that a possible meeting between the two officials could take place in Baku in
Azerbaijan Demolishes Armenian Church in Artsakh as Experts Warn of Systematic Erasure
Azerbaijan, which is currently occupying the region, has demolished a major Armenian Christian church in Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), in what officials and experts describe as a deliberate act targeting Armenian cultural and religious heritage. At the center of the case is the Holy Mother of God Cathedral of Protection, one of the most significant Armenian churches built in recent decades in Stepanakert. Artsakh’s cultural heritage ombudsman, Hovik
Blogger’s Video Offers a Haunting Look Inside Artsakh Today Under Azerbaijani Occupation
What does Artsakh look like today under Azerbaijani occupation? A recent travel video by blogger YoungMin Skies offers a rare answer. His visit to Stepanakert reveals empty streets, damaged landmarks, and a visible effort to reshape the identity of the occupied region. The 18-minute blogger style video documents his journey through Artsakh, which has been under Azerbaijani occupation since September 2023. Before arriving, the blogger had already studied the history of Artsakh
Armenia Court Case Could Erase Last Official Remnant of Nagorno-Karabakh Authorities
A court case in Armenia could soon decide the fate of what many consider the final official presence of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on Armenian soil. At the center of the dispute is a large government compound in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital. The 1,222-square-meter property has long been registered under the authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh — an indigenous Armenian region that was controlled by ethnic Armenians for decades but was occupied by Azerbaijan in 2023. Armenian prosecuto
Nearly Four Decades Since Armenians Began the Movement To Reclaim Artsakh — Today, No Armenians Remain
February 20, 2025, is the 38th anniversary of the Artsakh Liberation Movement, a historic moment in Armenian history that reshaped the region’s geopolitical region. The movement, which began in 1988, was a response to decades of economic and social discrimination faced by the Armenian population in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) under Soviet Azerbaijani rule. The first demonstrations began on February 12, 1988, in Hadrut, then part of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)
Ruben Vardanyan Sentenced to 20 Years in Azerbaijani Military Court in Sham Trial
The Baku Military Court has sentenced former Artsakh State Minister and businessman Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison, in a trial widely condemned as a sham judicial process targeting Armenians. Azerbaijani media reported the verdict, which came after a trial criticized for ignoring basic legal standards. Azerbaijani state prosecutors had demanded life imprisonment for Vardanyan. Under Azerbaijani law, life imprisonment can be avoided for individuals over 65 years old. Va
“I Am Proud to Represent the Armenian People”: Armenian POW Ruben Vardanyan Speaks Defiantly in Baku Court
On February 10, the final hearing of what is described as Ruben Vardanyan’s staged trial took place in Baku. Today his family shared an audio recorded speech from Ruben Vardanyan that detailed what he said in court and why he refused to take part in the sham legal process as it unfolded. According to the message he delivered by phone, Vardanyan instructed his lawyer not to present any defense arguments. He said he viewed the proceedings as a judicial farce and believed there
