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Armenia Hosts National Weightlifting Championship Ahead of European and World Championships
The 2026 Armenian Weightlifting Championship brought together the nation’s strongest athletes in an intense and emotional competition. The Armenian Report followed every moment of the championship, capturing the dedication, determination, and celebrations of Armenia’s top weightlifters. This year’s championship provided an important opportunity for athletes and coaches to evaluate readiness ahead of the European Championship in Batumi and the World Championship in China later
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 18
Armenian Apostolic Church Accuses Greek Orthodox and Catholic Authorities of Marginalizing Armenians at the Birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem
The Armenian Apostolic Church has expressed strong objections to recent developments regarding the restoration of the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem, citing repeated exclusion from official announcements and site inspections. The Grotto of the Nativity, one of Christianity’s most sacred sites, is jointly administered by three communities under the centuries-old Status Quo arrangement: the Greek Orthodox Church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the Roman Catholic Custod
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 17
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Longtime Partner Anna Hakobyan Legally Marry After Decades Together and Four Children
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his longtime partner Anna Hakobyan have officially registered their marriage, formalizing a relationship that began in the mid-1990s and spans nearly three decades and four children. The couple had previously lived in a civil marriage, a fact Pashinyan had publicly addressed in the past. Their decision to legally marry is a significant personal milestone for one of Armenia’s most visible political families. Hakobyan later confirmed
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 17
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
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 17
Armenia’s Pair Skaters Make Historic Olympic Debut, Finish 14th Overall Among World’s Top Duos in First Appearance
Karina Akopova and Nikita Rakhmanin ranked 14th out of 16 pairs who qualified for the free program at their first Winter Olympic Games. Competing at the world’s biggest winter sports stage, the Armenian duo delivered two programs over two days of competition. In the free skate, they performed to music from the film Slumdog Millionaire . During the routine, they made several mistakes. Akopova fell twice on jumps, which had a clear impact on their final result. Despite the erro
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 16
Armenia’s Pair Skates to “Artsakh,” Delivering Symbolic Olympic Program
Armenia’s figure skating pair Karina Akopyan and Nikita Rakhmanin took to the ice at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, delivering a short program that blended athletic precision with powerful cultural symbolism. Representing Armenia on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages, the duo performed to “Artsakh” by composer Ara Gevorgyan, a choice that immediately resonated with Armenian audiences worldwide and drew significant attention across social media platforms. The duo e
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 15
Armenian Government Opens Criminal Case Against Catholicos Karekin II, Imposes Travel Ban Before Bishops’ Assembly
Two days before the upcoming Bishops’ Assembly in Austria, Armenia’s Prosecutor’s Office launched a criminal case against the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church and imposed a travel ban on Karekin II, preventing him from leaving the country. Attorney Ara Zohrabyan confirmed that the Prosecutor’s Office has initiated criminal prosecution against the Catholicos of All Armenians and that an investigator attempted to question His Holiness. According to Zohrabyan, the Catholico
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 14
Indians Kidnapped in Azerbaijan, Tortured on Video to Parents as Kidnappers Threaten Kidney Removal Unless $78K Is Paid
What began as a dream to build a new life in the United States turned into a nightmare for two young people from India, who were kidnapped and tortured in Azerbaijan after attempting to migrate through an illegal route. They were later rescued following diplomatic intervention by Indian authorities in an operation codenamed “Operation Mahisagar.” Dhruv Patel, 22, and Deepika Patel, 32, both from Kanthariya village in Gujarat’s Anand district, had hoped to settle in the United
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 13
Diaspora Heavyweights Warn Pashinyan’s Dispute With the Apostolic Church Could Sever Armenia’s Ties With Its Diaspora
Several well-known Armenian diaspora leaders have warned that the Armenian government’s dispute with the Armenian Apostolic Church could seriously harm Armenia’s relationship with Armenians around the world. In an open letter published on Thursday, seven prominent figures said that the current approach taken by the government risks creating a deep divide between Armenia and the global Armenian community. They wrote that “even if unintentional, the Armenian government’s approa
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 12
Businessman Samvel Karapetyan Named Prime Ministerial Candidate by “Strong Armenia” Party Ahead of June 7 Elections
With Armenia’s parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7, the newly formed Strong Armenia party entered the race on February 12 with a proposal that could reshape the country’s constitutional framework, officially announcing businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan as its candidate for Prime Minister. The announcement was made during the party’s official presentation event in Yerevan. The decision was introduced by Narek Karapetyan, coordinator of the opposition “O
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 12
Pelosi Slams Removal of Vance’s Armenian Genocide Post as ‘Erasing History’
Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has publicly criticized the deletion of a social media post by Vice President J.D. Vance that acknowledged the Armenian Genocide. Pelosi wrote: “When I visited Armenia as Speaker in 2022, our Congressional delegation stood at Tsitsernakaberd and spoke clearly and unapologetically about the Armenian Genocide — because truth matters. That truth was affirmed when the House overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan resolution recognizing the Armeni
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 11
“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
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 11
Russian Figure Skater Competes at Winter Olympics to Composer Edgar Hakobyan’s Music
At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Russian figure skater Petr Gumennik delivered his men’s short program to the music of Armenian composer Edgar Hakobyan — a rare appearance of Armenian-composed music on the Olympic stage. Gumennik, competing under a neutral flag due to international sporting regulations, took to the ice on February 10 with his short program set to Hakobyan’s “Waltz 1805,” a piece drawn from the soundtrack of the film Onegin. The selection followed
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 10
California High School Students Invited to Apply for 2026 Armenian Genocide Remembrance Scholarships
The California Armenian Legislative Caucus Foundation is accepting applications for its 2026 Armenian Genocide Remembrance Scholarship Contests, inviting California high school students (grades 9–12) to participate in an essay and visual arts competition marking the 111 th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. The contests aim to increase awareness of the Armenian Genocide while highlighting the cultural resilience, civic contributions, and lived experiences of Armenian
The Armenian Report Team
Feb 10
