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Armenia’s Aleksandra Grigoryan Wins European Youth Weightlifting Championship
Armenian weightlifter Aleksandra Grigoryan has become the European Youth Champion in the 58 kg category, showing an outstanding performance at the continental event. The 20-year-old athlete lifted a total of 214 kg, earning the top spot on the podium and setting new European records. Grigoryan successfully completed all six of her attempts, a perfect result that few lifters achieve in competition. She won two small gold medals for her results in both the snatch and the clean
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 29, 2025
Police Detain Masis Mayor Davit Hambardzumyan Moments After He Steps Off Plane
The opposition mayor of Masis, a small town about 20 kilometers south of Yerevan, has been arrested and sent to prison to serve a six-year sentence. The court decision, issued last week, has been strongly condemned by his Republican Party (HHK), which accuses the Armenian government of political persecution. The Armenian Report’s Ani Khachatryan was at Zvartnots International Airport covering the arrest of Masis Mayor Davit Hambardzumyan tonight. Davit Hambardzumyan, who has
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 28, 2025
Pashinyan Joins Defrocked Priest in Unauthorized Liturgy, Escalating Government’s Clash with the Armenian Church
A deepening confrontation between the Armenian government and the Armenian Apostolic Church erupted again this weekend when Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended an unauthorized liturgy led by a defrocked priest at Hovhannavank Monastery, in open defiance of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The incident followed weeks of growing tension between state authorities and the Church. The conflict began when Father Aram — whose secular name is Stepan Asatryan — publicly attacke
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 27, 2025
Hripsime Khurshudyan Awarded International Referee Title by the International Weightlifting Federation
Armenian weightlifter Hripsime Khurshudyan has officially received the title of international referee from the International Weightlifting Federation. The new title allows her to take part as a referee in major tournaments, including European and World Championships, according to the Armenian Weightlifting Federation. This recognition is another important milestone for Khurshudyan, who has represented Armenia with distinction in international competitions for many years. Her
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 27, 2025
Armenia’s FM Invites Aliyev and Erdogan to Yerevan for 2026 European Political Community Summit
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced that Armenia has invited Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to attend the European Political Community summit, which will be held in May 2026 in Yerevan. Mirzoyan said the invitation was extended verbally and that the official documents will be sent later. “We have extended the invitations; the documents have not yet been sent, but we have verbally invited [them] to participate at t
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 27, 2025
Armenia to Take Part in First Military Weightlifting Tournament in Iran
The Armenian national weightlifting team will travel to Iran to participate in the first-ever international military weightlifting tournament. According to the Armenian Weightlifting Federation, the competition will be held in the Iranian city of Babolsar from November 1 to 6. Armenia’s delegation will include four athletes: Karlen Davtyan (60 kg), Zhora Grigoryan (65 kg), Hovhannes Hovhannisyan (71 kg), and Hovhannes Ghahramanyan (94 kg). The team will be coached by Yervand
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 27, 2025
Without the October 27 Parliament Attack, Would Armenia Have Taken Another Political Path?
Today marks 26 years since one of the darkest days in Armenia’s modern history — the October 27, 1999 terrorist attack inside the National Assembly. On that day, a group of armed men entered the parliament during a government question-and-answer session and opened fire. As a result, eight top Armenian officials were killed, including National Assembly Speaker Karen Demirchyan, Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Deputy Speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, MPs Armenak Armena
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 27, 2025
Yerevan Circus Reborn as Tashir Arena After 15 Years of Closure
A new era has begun in Yerevan’s cultural life with the official opening of Tashir Arena, a modern entertainment complex built on the site of the former Yerevan Circus. The Yerevan Circus, once a beloved landmark for generations, was closed around 15 years ago and demolished in 2012 after it was declared unsafe for renovation. For more than a decade, the site stood empty — a silent reminder of the city’s lost cultural hub. Now, after years of anticipation, the newly construct
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 24, 2025
Opposition Prime Minister Nominee Davit Hambardzumyan Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison
A Yerevan court has sentenced Masis Municipality mayor and opposition nominee for prime minister Davit Hambardzumyan to six years and three months in prison. The verdict, issued by Judge Zhora Chichoyan, concerns an incident that took place during the 2018 Velvet Revolution — the same movement that brought Nikol Pashinyan to power. The ruling also revoked Hambardzumyan’s bail and ordered that he be taken into custody immediately. Armenia’s opposition parties denounced the dec
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 24, 2025
Armenia’s Mamikon Khachatryan Wins Silver at World Gymnastics Championships
Armenia continues to shine on the world gymnastics stage, as 19-year-old Mamikon Khachatryan claimed a silver medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The young athlete, who is already a European silver medalist, delivered an impressive performance in the pommel horse final, scoring 14.600 points and earning the title of world vice-champion. Khachatryan shared the same score with China’s Yangmin Yong, who was awarded the gold medal. The
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 24, 2025
Armenia to Provide Free Next-Generation Glucose Sensors for 1,100 Children with Diabetes
The Armenian government has approved a new healthcare initiative that will provide free next-generation glucose monitoring systems to 1,100 children living with diabetes. The decision was adopted during a Cabinet meeting on October 23 as part of amendments to the 2025 state budget and related government programs. According to Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan, the government will allocate 570 million AMD to introduce a continuous glucose monitoring system for children aged 10
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 23, 2025
Azerbaijani “Eco-Activist” Behind Artsakh Blockade Arrives in Yerevan for Peace Talks
The meeting held in Yerevan between Armenian and Azerbaijani experts was presented as a step toward dialogue and peacebuilding. Yet for many in Armenia, this event symbolized something very different — a deep insult to truth, justice, and the memory of Artsakh’s tragedy. The outrage that followed was not only understandable but entirely justified. How can a country like Azerbaijan, where free thought is criminalized and independent activism is crushed, send representatives wh
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 23, 2025
Armenian Government Moves to Shut Down Church TV Channel
Armenia’s parliament has approved legislation that could soon take the Shoghakat TV channel, co-owned by the Armenian Apostolic Church, off the air. This comes during rising tensions between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government and Catholicos Karekin II, the head of the church. Under the new government-backed law, authorities can stop the broadcasts of Shoghakat, which has operated for nearly twenty years as a joint project between the state and the church. Since its f
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 22, 2025
Pashinyan Welcomes Start of Trade with Azerbaijan, Says Border with Turkey to Open Soon
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has welcomed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s decision to lift trade restrictions with Armenia, calling it a major step toward regional cooperation. Speaking at the 2025 Tbilisi Silk Road Forum on Wednesday, Pashinyan said Armenia was also ready to begin allowing the transit of goods between Turkey and Azerbaijan through its territory. The announcement is a significant shift in regional dynamics, following decades of closed borders
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 22, 2025
Yerevan Plans to Rename Leningradyan Street After Kirk Kerkorian
The Yerevan City Council will soon discuss a proposal to rename one of the city’s major streets in honor of Kirk Kerkorian, the American-Armenian businessman, philanthropist, and National Hero of Armenia. The discussion is scheduled for October 23, when the council will vote on changing the name of Leningradyan Street to Kirk Kerkorian Street. The proposal was introduced by the Hanrapetutyun faction, part of the ruling Civil Contract alliance in the city council. According to
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 22, 2025
Chechen Woman Found Strangled to Death in Yerevan in Suspected Honor Killing
A 23-year-old woman from Chechnya, Russia, who had fled to Armenia seeking safety from her family, has been found dead in Yerevan in what appears to be an “honor killing.” Armenian police confirmed the discovery on Monday, saying the body of Aishat Baymuradova was found in her apartment in the Armenian capital. Baymuradova had reportedly escaped from Chechnya to Armenia with the help of human rights activists after facing harassment and threats from her relatives. Her friends
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 20, 2025
Pashinyan Meets Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV during his official visit to the Holy See. The meeting took place following Pashinyan’s participation in the canonization ceremony of Archbishop Ignatius Maloyan and six other blesseds, held at St. Peter’s Square. The Pope welcomed the Armenian leader to the Vatican and expressed his appreciation for Armenia’s presence at the historic religious event. He emphasized the deep spiritual and cultural ties
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 20, 2025
Masked Forces Raid Gyumri City Hall and Arrest Opposition Mayor, Protests Erupt
In Armenia’s second-largest city early Monday masked special forces entered Gyumri City Hall, detaining opposition mayor Vardan Ghukasyan and several other officials. The operation, carried out under the direction of the Anti-Corruption Committee (ACC), has sparked widespread outrage among residents and opposition groups, who denounce the move as a political crackdown by the Pashinyan government. Witnesses reported that police and masked security units surrounded and entered
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 20, 2025
Armenia Becomes 30th State to Ratify the Oviedo Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine
Armenia has officially become the 30th state to ratify the Council of Europe’s Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, also known as the Oviedo Convention. The ratification is a big step in Armenia’s commitment to protecting human dignity and ensuring that medical and scientific progress is guided by ethical principles. The Convention will come into effect for Armenia on February 1, 2026. The official ratification took place on October 15, 2025, in Strasbourg. During the
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 16, 2025
Armenian Defense Attorney Brutally Detained for Criticizing Authorities Online
Armenia’s democratic system is facing another serious test after the detention of defense lawyer Aleksandr Kochubayev — one of the attorneys representing defendants in the high-profile case involving Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan and several others accused of terrorism and attempting to seize power. The incident occurred immediately after Thursday’s closed-door court session. Witnesses said masked law enforcement agents detained Kochubayev in a violent and secretive manner. Hi
The Armenian Report Team
Oct 16, 2025
