CIVILNET

📍 An unconfirmed document published on the ruling party’s website, attributed to 13 bishops, calls for the removal of Catholicos Karekin II. 📍 Turkey’s National Security Council discussed the Armenia–Azerbaijan normalization process and possibility of bilateral cooperation. 📍 Education Minister Zhanna Andreasyan says the new “Real Armenia Aesthetic Localization and Support” concept aims to strengthen national identity and statehood, not impose censorship on cultural matters. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

In this episode of the CivilNet podcast, commentator Eric Hacopian surveys the political field ahead of the 2025 Armenian parliamentary elections, which are shaping up to be crowded, uncertain, and highly consequential. He outlines the names currently expected to run and assesses which figures are real contenders versus those who have more visibility than viability. Hacopian also considers the role of foreign influence, what each side must do to win, and the under-discussed issues that could ultimately decide the outcome.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 Catholicos Karekin II convenes an emergency meeting of bishops to address deliberate omissions of his name during Divine Liturgies, warning clergy that continued violations could lead to severe disciplinary action. 📍 Wildfires continue to burn in the Dilijan region despite containment efforts, with hundreds of rescuers, aircraft support, and officials urging caution as hotspots persist near populated areas.📍 Armenia’s TUMO Center for Creative Technologies wins the $1 million WISE Prize for Education for its AI co-learner platform. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenia continues to decline participation in the upcoming CSTO summit, stemming from criticism of the body’s lack of support during Azerbaijan’s 2022 attack on Armenia. 📍 Armenia weighs state or foreign management for its electricity grid after taking control of the Electricity Networks of Armenia amid mounting legal and political tensions. 📍 This Week in Business: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C4ZBc2dJnECredits: Ruptly#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announces that a referendum on a new Constitution will be held after the 2026 parliamentary elections. 📍 Armenian civil society delegates visit Baku, raising detainee and media concerns during dialogue with Azerbaijani officials. 📍 Armenia is preparing to gradually release the non-classified sections of its long-awaited parliamentary report on the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 The U.S. government granted the artificial intelligence startup Firebird permission to export advanced chips for a new $500 million data center in Armenia.📍 Meet the visionaries behind Armenia’s AI supercomputer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j_x4LHLMpA📍 Armenia’s state regulator stripped the country’s main power distributor, Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), of its operating license.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #civilnetbusiness

By Tigran Grigoryan and Tatev Ghazaryan

On November 13, at 7 a.m., masked officers of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) raided the homes of opposition bloggers and activists Narek Samsonyan and Vazgen Saghatelian, arresting both men. Later the same day, they were charged with hooliganism and placed in two months’ pre-trial detention. Law enforcement also seized the equipment used for their “Imnemnimi” podcast.

The arrests came immediately after a politically charged media event. On November 12, Samsonyan and Saghatelyan hosted former President Serzh Sargsyan on their podcast, where he spent more than seven hours answering questions in a live broadcast. The episode quickly gained significant attention, accumulating around 268,000 views.

Once the broadcast ended, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reacted by posting a series of Facebook comments addressing Sargsyan’s statements. Even before the episode was released, the Speaker of Parliament, Alen Simonyan, had responded to the teaser trailer by criticizing Sargsyan and insulting the podcast hosts, calling them “sons of a bitch.” Samsonyan and Saghatelyan, in turn, responded with sexually explicit insults directed at Simonyan, both on Facebook and during their podcast. Simonyan subsequently filed a complaint with law enforcement, which led to the criminal case against them.

This episode, much like several developments in recent months, raises serious concerns about selective justice. The use of masked NSS officers to arrest individuals accused of hooliganism in early-morning raids was clearly disproportionate and appears intended to intimidate figures engaged in opposition activities. Such actions stand in stark contrast to the authorities’ handling of incidents involving government officials. Notably, roughly two years ago, Alen Simonyan spat on a citizen who had heckled him, yet no criminal proceedings were initiated. As noted in a previous Democracy Watch report, between 2020 and 2023, 95 percent of criminal cases related to speech were brought against individuals who targeted the prime minister or his supporters.

📍 Turkey reaffirmed that normalizing relations with Armenia will only happen after an Armenia–Azerbaijan peace treaty is signed, keeping the process firmly tied to regional geopolitics. 📍 The United States approved Firebird’s export of advanced Nvidia chips to Armenia for a $500-million AI supercomputing center. 📍 The country’s regulators have placed the Electric Networks of Armenia utility under interim state control while the government pursues ownership transfer talks. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

In this episode of Insights, host Eric Hacopian breaks down the EU’s new visa liberalization plan for Armenia and what it could mean for the country’s political future. He explains the reforms Brussels is demanding, why this process matters now, and how it fits into Armenia’s broader geopolitical shift. Hacopian also reviews the Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent statements on debt, defense spending, and weapons procurement.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

📍 Police search homes and charge five members of opposition alliance with vote-buying following Vagharshapat municipal election.📍 Armenian court extends billionaire Samvel Karapetyan’s pre-trial detention by two months amid legal and business disputes. 📍 Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians meet in Istanbul to discuss normalization process and parliamentary cooperation.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia