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‘Painful,’ ‘Humiliating’ and ‘Something That Should Never Have Happened’: Supporters Condemn Karekin II Court Case as ‘Terror Against a 1,725-Year-Old Institution’
INTERVIEWS: As Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II appeared in court in an unprecedented criminal case Friday, supporters gathered outside described the moment as painful, humiliating and deeply unsettling for a nation whose church has survived centuries of war, foreign rule and political upheaval. The Armenian Report spoke with filmmakers, activists and political figures outside the Vagharshapat courthouse, where the first criminal proceedings against a sitting Catholicos
Firebird AI Opens $500 Million AI Computing Facility in Armenia, Plans 70,000 NVIDIA Chips
Firebird AI opened a more than $500 million artificial intelligence computing facility near Hrazdan on Saturday, launching a project that is expected to bring tens of thousands of advanced NVIDIA chips to Armenia and turn the country into a major regional center for AI infrastructure. The facility is already operating and represents the first phase of a planned 300-megawatt computing campus. Firebird expects to install more than 70,000 NVIDIA Blackwell and Vera Rubin GPUs by
World Council of Churches Backs Armenian Apostolic Church, Raises Concern Over Government Interference
The World Council of Churches has raised concern over what it called “undue interference” in the internal affairs of the Armenian Apostolic Church, weighing in as a confrontation between Armenia’s government and church leadership increasingly spills into the courts. The WCC, a global fellowship of Christian churches, said the Armenian Apostolic Church holds a vital place in Armenian spiritual, cultural and historical life, as well as in the broader Christian world. “As WCC, w
Pashinyan, Aliyev Hold Anniversary Call, Discuss Peace Process, TRIPP and Armenia-Azerbaijan Trade One Year After Washington Summit
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev spoke by phone Saturday, one year after a U.S.-backed summit in Washington. The Aug. 8 call focused on the progress Armenia and Azerbaijan have made since the 2025 Washington summit, as well as expanding economic ties and plans for a new regional transit route, according to the Armenian government. Pashinyan and Aliyev met in Washington on Aug. 8, 2025, with the support of U.S. President Donald Tru
Pashinyan Says Armenia Not Yet Choosing EU Membership, Challenges Russia Over Trade Restrictions at EAEU Meeting
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Friday that Armenia will continue seeking political and economic alternatives beyond its traditional partnerships, arguing that diversification is a sovereign right and urging the Eurasian Economic Union not to stand in the way. Speaking to Russian reporters on Aug. 7 on the sidelines of a meeting of the EAEU Intergovernmental Council, Pashinyan said the Moscow-led economic bloc should respond to Armenia’s changing foreign policy b
Armenian Church Leaders in Lebanon, Jerusalem and U.S. Condemn Criminal Case Against Catholicos Karekin II
Senior Armenian Apostolic Church leaders in Lebanon, Jerusalem and the United States condemned the criminal case against Catholicos Karekin II on Friday, rallying behind the Church’s spiritual leader as he was due to appear in court as a defendant. Catholicos Aram I, head of the Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia in Lebanon, called Karekin II’s summons to court “unacceptable and condemnable.” He said he had personally urged the Catholicos not to attend the h
Armenia Honors TUMO Co-Founder Sam Simonian With First Class Order for Services to the Homeland
Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan has awarded Armenian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Sam Simonian one of the country’s highest state honors, recognizing his decades of work in education, technology, culture and economic development. Simonian, president of the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), received the First Class Order for Services to the Homeland during a meeting with Khachaturyan in Yerevan. The honor was granted in connection with Armenia’s Repu
Judge Withdraws From Criminal Case Against Catholicos Karekin II Minutes Into First Hearing
A judge withdrew Friday from the criminal case against Catholicos Karekin II just minutes after the first hearing began, delaying proceedings against the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and six senior clerics. Judge Hakob Manukyan recused himself after initially closing the hearing to the public. A new hearing will be scheduled once another judge is assigned to the case, defense attorney Ara Zohrabyan told reporters outside the courthouse. The case charges Karekin II wi
Israeli Airstrikes Shake Southern Lebanon as U.S.-Brokered Talks Continue in Rome
INTERVIEW: A new round of Israeli airstrikes struck southern Lebanon, testing already fragile ceasefire negotiations as diplomats from Lebanon and Israel continued U.S.-mediated talks in Rome. According to regional media, Israeli strikes hit areas near Kfar Shouba, Majdal Zoun and Al-Khaniyah. Earlier in the day, an airstrike on a residential building in the town of Tebnin killed one person and injured 11 others. The attacks come weeks after a June 26 framework agreement reac
Subway Considers Major Expansion Into Armenia With Plans for More Than 60 Locations
Subway is weighing a major investment in Armenia that could bring more than 60 restaurants to the country — one of the largest potential expansions by an international fast-food franchise in the Armenian market. The proposal was discussed Wednesday during a meeting between Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan, Subway Regional Director Efe Celik, and Armenian investor Levon Hayrapetyan, the Ministry of Economy said. According to the ministry, each restaurant would require
Baku Appeals Court Upholds Life Sentences for Former Artsakh Leaders and Other Armenian Prisoners
A court in Azerbaijan has upheld the convictions and prison sentences of former Artsakh leaders and other Armenian prisoners, rejecting their appeals and leaving in place the harsh penalties imposed earlier this year. According to Azerbaijani media, the Baku Court of Appeals ruled on Aug. 6 to uphold the Feb. 5 verdicts issued by the Baku Military Court. The appeals filed by former Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, Par
Armenian Architecture Group Warns Against Removing Protected Status of Zvartnots Terminal
Armenia's leading organization dedicated to protecting modern architectural heritage is warning that government plans to strip the old terminal at Zvartnots International Airport of its protected status could pave the way for the loss of one of the country's most recognizable 20th-century landmarks. Docomomo Armenia, the Armenian chapter of the International Committee for Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement, issued a sta
“The Verdict Was Decided Long Ago”: POW Davit Ishkhanyan Says Baku Appeal Was a Political Trial
Davit Ishkhanyan, the former speaker of Artsakh’s National Assembly who is being held in Baku, said the outcome of his appeal had been decided before the judges began deliberations, describing the case as a political prosecution rather than a legitimate judicial process. In a message released after the latest court hearing, Ishkhanyan said Azerbaijan’s Court of Appeal had formally withdrawn to consider its ruling, but argued that the panel had no real role in determining the
Armenian-American Edmen Shahbazyan to Face Brunno Ferreira at UFC 331 in Los Angeles
Armenian-American middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan will return to the Octagon on Sept. 19 when he faces Brazil's Brunno Ferreira at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. The fight, first reported by MMA Fighting, will take place at Crypto.com Arena. The promotion has not yet announced the card's main event. For Shahbazyan, the matchup represents another opportunity to reestablish himself as a contender in the UFC's competitive middleweight division. The 28-year-old enters the fight with a 16-
