CIVILNET

📍 Georgia has begun cracking down on a key passenger link with Armenia, small private vans that transport groups of travelers between Yerevan and Tbilisi. 📍 Parliament approved in the first reading a bill that would end public funding for Shoghakat, the Armenian Apostolic Church’s television channel.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

Partner contentCivilNet deep dives into the From Data to Change project, led by Hyphen4 and in partnership with AGBU Armenia, TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia, and GEOVIBES. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the Embassy of Switzerland in Armenia. We speak with Hyphen 4 founder Siuneh Arakelian, international experts from MIT and UCLA, and the Armenian university students at the heart of this initiative. The students explain how they are tackling the lack of open spatial data by empowering local youth to map their own communities; from stork nests in Areni to abandoned buildings in Berd. This grassroots effort has already collected over 17,000 data points across six regions, creating a transparent foundation for community development plans and giving citizens a voice in their own future. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 Armenia will shorten mandatory military service from 24 to 18 months starting January 2026.📍 Azerbaijan has lifted the ban on transit of goods from third countries to Armenia through its territory.📍 Armenian truck drivers blocked three of four checkpoints on the country’s border with Georgia, protesting Russia’s deportations and calling on Armenian authorities to address the issue.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

#DemocracyWatch – On October 15, the Investigative Committee of Armenia detained ten clergymen from the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and conducted a search at the diocesan headquarters. The following day, authorities revealed that three individuals had been formally arrested, including the head of the diocese, Bishop Mkrtych Proshyan.

The charges against the clergy involve multiple provisions of the Armenian Criminal Code, including obstruction of the exercise of electoral rights using official position, coercing or obstructing participation in public assemblies through influence or material incentives, and misappropriation of large amounts of entrusted property. These actions were prompted by an interview given in September by another clergyman of the Aragatsotn Diocese, Father Aram Asatryan, in which he stated that he had participated in opposition rallies in 2021 against his will.

A related high-profile arrest occurred on October 16 when lawyer Alexander Kochubaev publicly criticized the criminal proceedings against the clergymen. In a Facebook post, he described investigators, prosecutors, and judges in derogatory terms. Hours later, Kochubaev was forcibly detained and subsequently imprisoned for two months. Authorities charged him under the Criminal Code for publishing defamatory information about judges, prosecutors, and investigators in connection with their professional activities.

CivilNet spoke with longtime friend Timothy Straight, the Honorary Consul of Norway and Finland and a knighted figure who has called Armenia home for 25 years. Tim shares stories from Shamshadin, drawn from his time hosting CivilNet’s beloved series Straight to the Village, where each episode took him on a journey to discover the lesser-known reaches of Armenia, uncovering the socioeconomic situation on the grounds. He also explains the unique honor of being knighted by both Norway and Finland and details his new ventures, which include the Battered Bear Project for women displaced from Artsakh and ArmWool, an initiative using blockchain technology to track the value chain of Armenian wool. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 Vardan Ghukasyan, the mayor of Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, was arrested on bribery charges alongside seven other individuals. A pro-Russian politician, he served as mayor between 1999 and 2012 and was re-elected in April.📍 Armenia might achieve visa-free travel to the European Union within two years, the country’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced.📍 A young woman from Chechnya who fled to Armenia to escape domestic abuse was found dead in Yerevan. Activists suggest she fell victim to a so-called “honor killing,” a practice common in Muslim communities of the North Caucasus where young women are murdered by relatives for actions seen as bringing shame to the family. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has claimed Yerevan is working daily to secure the release of Armenian captives in Baku.📍 Armenian truck drivers transporting goods to and from Russia held a protest outside the government building in Yerevan, demanding that the authorities negotiate with Moscow to lift new restrictions that have led to mass deportations of Armenian nationals from Russia.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian law enforcement detained Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, head of the Aragatsotn regional diocese, on suspicion of coercing participation in mass gatherings. He is now one of the three regional church leaders under custody.📍 Queen Mathilde of Belgium met with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan in Yerevan.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said he hoped there will be “good news soon” regarding Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan. 📍The United Kingdom has lifted its arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan, which was initially introduced in 1992.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian freight companies are facing mounting difficulties as Russia’s new migration regulations have led to entry bans for dozens of long-haul drivers.📍 Yerevan celebrated its 2,807th birthday.📍 Armenian airport operator announces $500M expansion: THIS WEEK IN BUSINESS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAc5csWnOSg Credits: Ruptly#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia