This week on Insights, Eric Hacopian discusses Armenia’s moves towards visa-free travel with the EU, a Yerevan court sentencing of Archbishop Ajapahian, and the major expansion plans reshaping Armenian aviation.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

📍 There is a conflict of interest that invalidates the recent United Nations decision declaring that the detention of former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan in Azerbaijan was not arbitrary, Former International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo reported.📍 Sex-selective abortions continue to pose a serious and concerning challenge for Armenian society, Anahit Manasyan, the country’s ombudsperson, says.📍 10 Gifts From God: One Family’s Defiance Against Sex-Selective Abortions https://www.civilnet.am/en/news/802567/10-gifts-from-god-one-familys-defiance-against-sex-selective-abortions/ #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

CivilNet’s Eric Hacopian spoke with Anna Grigoryan, opposition MP from the Armenian Alliance, about her political journey from supporting the 2018 revolution to becoming one of the government’s sharpest critics. Grigoryan discusses the unreleased 44-Day War report, the Washington Accords and the so-called “Trump Road”, Armenia’s pivot to the West, and the government’s handling of Artsakh refugees and political prisoners, including Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan.00:30 — Why she left the ruling faction after the war03:40 — Why the 44-Day War report remains classified06:00 — On the Washington Accords and the “Trump Road”10:40 — On the weaknesses of Armenia’s opposition12:00 — On political prisoners and the Church14:00 — Armenia’s “pivot to the West” and Russian dependency20:00 — What her priorities would be if in power24:30 — On Artsakh refugees and government neglect

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On October 3, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was sentenced to two years in prison under the Criminal Code for “making public calls aimed at seizing power, violating territorial integrity, or overthrowing the constitutional order, using publicly displayed works, mass media, or information and communication technologies.”

The charge is based on an interview he gave more than a year ago, in which the cleric spoke about the “need for a coup.” At that time, however, the Prosecutor General’s Office had reviewed the same statements and found no grounds for criminal proceedings. In response to a request from the “Union of Informed Citizens” NGO, the Prosecutor General’s Office wrote on April 30, 2024:

“In accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia, it has already been recorded that the circumstances described in your report do not substantiate any act, action, or omission that could reasonably be given an initial legal qualification corresponding to any offense defined by the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia.”

The prosecution now justifies opening the case by claiming that Ajapahyan repeated the same statement in June 2025.

Human rights defender Zaruhi Hovhannisyan refuted this reasoning in an interview with Medialab, saying:

“From a legal standpoint, it is impossible for the same act to be considered non-criminal in one case and criminal in another. A person cannot now be sentenced to imprisonment for an action that was previously not regarded as a crime.”

Similarly, Anna Melikyan, legal expert at the Protection of Rights Without Borders NGO, in written comments to Democracy Watch, pointed to serious legal shortcomings in the case. She noted that although the Archbishop was charged for repeated calls made over a protracted timeline, the Prosecutor’s Office failed to demonstrate that those calls posed any real risk of violence or that any harmful actions followed them. According to Melikyan, this absence of demonstrable harm undermines the case’s legal foundation.

📍 Armenia’s former president Robert Kocharyan has confirmed that his political team will take part in the 2026 parliamentary elections.📍 The government has established a new department within its foreign ministry dedicated to European integration.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian Archbishop Mikayel Ajapahyan was sentenced to two years in prison, found guilty of making public calls to seize power.📍 The introduction of universal health insurance in Armenia will cost the state about $785 million a year, Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan announced. Citizens will pay around $35 per month, with fees covered for many.📍 Armenia’s income declaration system: Step-by-step guide https://www.civilnet.am/en/news/820105/explainer-armenias-new-income-declaration-system-step-by-step-guide/ #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met today in Copenhagen, Denmark, in a rare in-person exchange aimed at advancing regional cooperation and peace efforts.📍 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed remarks made by Gyumri Mayor Vardan Ghukasyan yesterday, saying that those who speak against Armenia’s sovereignty should be removed from the country’s political and public life through democratic means.📍 Attacks on civil society in Georgia are sending warning signals for the wider region, including Armenia, Transparency International’s Armenian office said.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

This week on Insights, Eric Hacopian unpacks Armenia’s planned military budget cut, the ruling party’s strategy heading into 2026, and National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan’s controversial comments. What do these moves mean for Armenia’s security and political future?#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #insightswitherichacopian

📍 Turkey’s national airline has announced that it plans to launch flights to Armenia, though no date or route details were provided.📍 The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Azerbaijan to provide a detailed report on the detention and health conditions of 23 Armenian prisoners held in Baku.📍 Armenia has delayed parliamentary hearings on the probe into the country’s defeat in the 2020 war in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. The head of the parliamentary commission behind the investigation said the loss was due to corruption, shortcomings in personnel policy, numerous instances of treason and desertion, as well as misleading information provided by allies.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

CivilNet sits down with Berj Apkarian, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia in Fresno, to talk about his 15th medical mission to Armenia. This year’s mission features a high-level delegation of physicians from the Cleveland Clinic, University of California Irvine, Washington University, and University of California San Francisco. Apkarian, who was recently awarded the title of Honorary Professor by Armen Muradyan, the Rector of Yerevan State Medical University, discussed the mission’s new achievements in education and rehabilitation, and how this collaboration is enabling advancements in Armenia’s healthcare system, from integrating AI to advancing the nursing profession. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ