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Turkish Weightlifter Refuses Handshake With Armenian Competitor, Later Returns to Apologize and Hug Him
A Turkish weightlifter declined to shake hands with Armenia’s Artur Petrosyan during a medal ceremony at the European Youth Weightlifting Championships, but later returned to apologize and embrace the Armenian athlete. Footage from the ceremony shows Petrosyan reaching out to shake the Turkish athlete’s hand as the medalists stood together on the podium. As Petrosyan extended his hand, the Turkish competitor pulled his own hand back and moved on without acknowledging the gest
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 27
Armenian Court Orders Former President Robert Kocharyan Detained for Two Months in Corruption Case
Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Court ordered former President Robert Kocharyan held in pretrial detention for two months early Thursday, Aug. 27, in a corruption case involving allegations of bribery, money laundering and the acquisition of state property while he was in office. The decision came after a hearing that began Wednesday evening and continued for hours. Judge S. Dadoyan granted investigators’ request to detain Kocharyan, according to the Anti-Corruption Committee. Koch
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 27
Ararat-Armenia Makes History as First Armenian Club to Reach Europa League Main Stage
Ararat-Armenia made history in Yerevan on Thursday, defeating Romania’s Universitatea Craiova 2-1 to become the first Armenian club to reach the main stage of the UEFA Europa League. The Armenian champions secured the breakthrough at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium after the first leg ended in a 1-1 draw. The result sends Ararat-Armenia into the Europa League league phase, marking a first for Armenian club football in the competition. Portuguese head coach Manuel Tulipa na
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 27
Armenian, Azerbaijani Officials Meet in Lachin to Discuss Electricity Trade and Connecting Power Grids at the Border
Armenian and Azerbaijani officials met in Lachin on Aug. 25 to discuss electricity trade and connecting the two countries’ power infrastructure at the state border, a day after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said transmission lines could become the first infrastructure launched under the TRIPP project. The working meeting included representatives of Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure and the Electric Power System Operator, as well as officials
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 25
Robert Kocharyan Detained Hours After Pashinyan Vows Family’s Wealth ‘Must Be Returned’
Armenia’s former President Robert Kocharyan and his eldest son, Sedrak Kocharyan, were detained Tuesday in a sweeping corruption investigation, less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stood in parliament and publicly challenged the source of the Kocharyan family’s wealth. The timing puts one of Armenia’s most prominent political families at the center of a case involving allegations of bribery, the acquisition of state property at below-market prices and finan
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 25
Armenian General Imprisoned in Baku Confronts Pashinyan Through Audio Message Played in Parliament
An audio message from Gen. Davit Manukyan, who is imprisoned in Baku, was played for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the floor of Armenia’s parliament Monday, bringing the words of an Armenian detainee directly into a debate over the government’s 2026-2031 program. In the recording, Manukyan challenged Pashinyan to publicly address charges brought against him in Azerbaijan over the 2020 war and asked Armenia’s government to clarify its position on the status of Armenians he
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 24
S&P Keeps Armenia’s Credit Rating at ‘BB-’ With Positive Outlook, Possible Upgrade Ahead
S&P Global Ratings has kept Armenia’s sovereign credit rating at “BB-” with a positive outlook, leaving the door open to an upgrade as the country builds record foreign currency reserves and seeks to reduce geopolitical risks through a peace deal with Azerbaijan. The agency affirmed Armenia’s long-term foreign and local currency ratings at “BB-” and its short-term ratings at “B” in an assessment published Aug. 21. S&P said an upgrade could follow if Armenia continues to stren
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 24
Armenia’s Tigran Avetisyan Wins European U15 Weightlifting Championship
Armenian weightlifter Tigran Avetisyan swept all three gold medals in the 75-kilogram division to become European U15 champion in Pristina, Kosovo. Avetisyan went three-for-three in the snatch, lifting 112, 119 and 122 kilograms. His 122-kilogram final attempt secured the snatch gold. He added another gold in the clean and jerk after successful lifts of 140 and 146 kilograms. With a 268-kilogram total, Avetisyan claimed the overall European title, completing a three-gold perf
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 24
Pashinyan Says Beyond Hostages and Peace Deal, Armenia and Azerbaijan Must Build Lasting Relations
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia and Azerbaijan must move beyond a peace agreement, border delimitation, regional unblocking, trade and cooperation on captives and missing persons, arguing that lasting peace will require a fundamental change in relations between the two societies. Speaking at the National Assembly on Aug. 24 as he presented his government’s 2026-2031 program, Pashinyan said the “social and psychological” dimension of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations is
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 24
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Names Aramayis Avetisyan New Executive Director
The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has named Aramayis Avetisyan its new executive director, turning to a government official and nonprofit leader who helped oversee a $17 million fundraising campaign for the organization last year. The Fund’s Board of Trustees elected Avetisyan on Monday with 22 votes in favor, none against and two abstentions. Twenty-four of the board’s 29 members participated. He took office Aug. 24. Avetisyan has worked with the Fund since 2025 and coordinated
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 24
Armenia’s Declaration of Independence Turns 36 as Pashinyan Pushes New Constitution
Armenia on Sunday marked 36 years since the adoption of its Declaration of Independence, the document that began the country's formal break from Soviet rule and laid out the foundations of the modern Armenian state. On Aug. 23, 1990, the Supreme Council of Soviet Armenia adopted the declaration in Yerevan, proclaiming the start of a process toward independent statehood. The vote came more than a year before Armenians overwhelmingly backed independence in a nationwide referend
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 23
Armenian Lacrosse Coach Concludes 12-Day Bible Tour With Reading at Holy Etchmiadzin
Armenian Lacrosse co-founder and coach Johnny Mouradian concluded his 12-day Bible reading tour across Armenia on Saturday at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in Vagharshapat. The final stop brought Mouradian to the spiritual center of the Armenian Apostolic Church and the seat of the Catholicos of All Armenians. Mouradian read a passage from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians about humanity’s spiritual state before the coming of Jesus Christ. “As long as the heir is a child, h
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 22
Armenian Director Mikael Nazarenko’s ‘BLACK & WHITE’ Premieres at New York’s Hip Hop Film Festival
Armenian filmmaker Mikael Nazarenko’s short film “BLACK & WHITE” premiered in New York on Friday as part of the 2026 Hip Hop Film Festival, bringing the Yerevan-born director’s latest work to an international audience. The 18-minute film screened Aug. 21 at LOOK Cinema as part of the festival’s short-film program. The Hip Hop Film Festival, produced by Harlem Film House, is being held Aug. 19-23 in New York. Shot in Russia, “BLACK & WHITE” follows an aspiring musician who mov
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 22
More Than 500 Performers Celebrate Armenian Heritage Through Traditional Dance in Yerevan
Hundreds of dancers and musicians took over the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden at Yerevan’s Cascade on Saturday evening, filling the landmark with Armenian folk music, traditional costumes and dances passed down through generations. The Armenian Report was on the ground covering the Gutan Armenian National Traditional Song and Dance Festival, where more than 500 performers from 26 ensembles gathered for one of the country’s largest annual celebrations of traditional Armenian cult
The Armenian Report Team
Aug 22
