Breaking
As calls grow for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to visit illegally imprisoned Armenian hostages, the organization has been ordered to leave Azerbaijan by the Aliyev dictatorship.
ICRC spokesperson said Wednesday: “We have been made aware of the Azerbaijani government’s intentions for the ICRC to close our delegation in Azerbaijan. We are currently in contact with authorities, and these conversations are part of our confidential and bilateral dialogue.”
Armenian Foreign Ministry Statement on the 37th Anniversary of the Massacres in Sumgait
“During these days in 1988, from February 27 to 29, a series of atrocities were carried out in the Azerbaijani city of Sumgait, which marked the beginning of large-scale massacres against Armenians, openly orchestrated and sponsored by the state, turning decades of pressure and persecution into overt and widespread violence.
The mass murders and torture of citizens of Armenian origin in Sumgait continued with the same patterns and horrifying brutality in Baku, Kirovabad and Maragha. As a result of these events, hundreds of Armenians were killed, and around half a million were forcibly displaced. The cycles of violence persisted until as recently as September 2023, when the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh was completely subjected to ethnic cleansing,” stated the Armenian Foreign Ministry in their statement.
Azerbaijan’s Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and Genocidal Policy
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Calls for Release of Armenian Detainees in Azerbaijan
“I am following closely the ongoing peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the hope that they will lead to a process of truth-telling, healing, and reconciliation. We stand ready to support. All those arbitrarily detained in Azerbaijan, including ethnic Armenians, must be released immediately, and fair trial rights must be respected fully,” The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated.
Azerbaijan’s Denial of Armenian POWs: The Case of Alexander Yeghiazaryan
The latest report of the Center for Truth & Justice (CFTJ) exposes Azerbaijan’s ongoing denial of eighty Armenian POWs, including Alexander Yeghiazaryan, despite clear evidence of his captivity. The report examines his case, his family’s struggle for answers, and the legal violations stemming from Azerbaijan’s refusal to acknowledge detained soldiers.
Read also: Azerbaijan’s ongoing persecution of Christian Armenians: The Case of Vicken Euljekjian
37 Organizations Call on the ICRC President to Visit Armenians Illegally Detained in Baku
A protest was held near the Yerevan office of the Red Cross on March 3 to demand that the ICRC immediately visit Ruben Vardanyan, who is illegally held in a Baku prison, has been on a hunger strike for the last 14 days, and whose life is in danger.
Armenian Ambassador, and French Interior Minister Discuss Unlawfully Held Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan
Driven by Fear from Nagorno-Karabakh
“Ruben Vardanyan Needs to be Healthy for Us”- Hunger Strike in Yerevan’s Freedom Square
For 13 days now, former State Minister of Artsakh, businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan has been on hunger strike in a Baku prison. To support him and other Armenians held captive in Baku, Mane Tandilyan, co-founder of the “Country to Live” party, along with citizens Vardan Avagyan and Artavazd Alaverdyan, declared their own hunger strike in Yerevan now on its third day.
Surviving a Mass Exodus: Is There Hope For the Displaced
Photos of the Week
Global President Tim Jemal speaks to Armenian college students on best practices in effective advocacy at the All-Armenian Student Association (All-ASA) retreat in California on March 1. All-ASA unites Armenian Student Associations worldwide through social, cultural, professional and advocacy programs.
Photo courtesy of All-Armenian Student Association.
A demonstration held near the ICRC office in Yerevan, calling for the release of Armenians held in Azerbaijan.
Photo courtesy of social media.
The tent where Mane Tandilyan, the president of Country to Live, a party affiliated with former Nagorno- Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, and two others are holding their hunger strike in Armenia’s Republic Square, ‘as a plea’ to Vardanyan to stop his hunger strike.
Photo courtesy of social media.
Security
Ambassador Makunts met with Congressman Michael Lawler
The Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the U.S. Lilit Makunts met with Congressman Michael Lawler. During the meeting, the parties discussed the enhancement of Armenia-US bilateral relations and the important role of the US Congress in this matter. The Ambassador briefed the Congressman on the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
In his public remarks, Lawler has repeatedly expressed support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia, for which the Ambassador thanked the Congressman.
EU Considers Providing More Military Aid to Armenia
Armenian Ambassador to US Meets with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast
In a meeting with Congressman Brian Mast, Armenian Ambassador Lilit Makunts highlighted the Armenia-U.S. Strategic Partnership Charter, emphasizing democracy, sovereignty, and bilateral cooperation. The discussion also covered Prime Minister Pashinyan’s recent U.S. visit and the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
‘Azerbaijan Loses Levers to Dictate Terms to Armenia’, Swedish MP on EUMA
“In my opinion, Azerbaijan’s discontent [with EUMA] is due to the fact that in case of the EU observers’ presence, Baku is losing the levers for dictating its own terms. The mission’s work is important for Armenia because Yerevan is thereby showing to the world who is actually violating the ceasefire,” Swedish Member of Parliament Arin Karapet, commented when asked about the disinformation coming from the Azerbaijani side and discontent targeting EUMA.
Speaker of the Armenian Parliament: We have a Positive Relationship with US President Donald Trump’s Administration.
Economy
The U.S. mission said that the multimillion-dollar project, which it has supported from the outset, “will create jobs and prosperity for the United States and Armenia.” “Armenia is open for U.S. businesses, and the U.S. Embassy is proud to support as we work toward a more prosperous future together,” reads the U.S. Embassy’s statement on X.
Education
Advisor to the Armenian FM Meets Georgetown University Students
The advisor presented the priorities of Armenia’s foreign policy, the government’s vision for peace, and regional developments. The multifaceted agenda of Armenia-US strategic relations was also discussed.
Opinion
The State Department Should Send Observers to Azerbaijan’s Armenia Show Trials
By Elizabeth Samson
With Hostages and Prisoners Held as Pawns in Azerbaijan’s Disingenuous Game, the Trump Administration Should Act
It was easy to posture on behalf of human rights and against the eradication of Nagorno- Karabakh’s 1,700-year-old Christian community during the campaign. Now in power, the Trump administration in general, and Rubio in particular, should do the minimum: Order U.S. representatives to observe the trials, and if blocked from observation or if the standards of the trials of the Armenian hostages fall short, respond with a full array of sanctions under the U.S. Global Magnitsky Act against the Aliyev regime for its violations of internationally recognized human rights.
Has Trump Greenlit Aggression on Armenia?
By Michael Rubin
During their campaign, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance both cultivated the Armenian community and promised to right the wrongs inflicted on Armenians during the Biden administration.
What happens to Ukraine will not end in Ukraine. Trump, Vance, Gabbard, and others said all the right things during the campaign, but the time is now for them to explain whether they were treating Armenian Americans for fools or if they have some unknown or undefined strategy to prevent Armenia from becoming Putin’s idea of Ukraine 2.0.
It Has to Be Said: Another Inflection Point
By Maria Titizian
There is something profoundly grotesque about watching Armenians stand trial in Azerbaijan, a regime notorious for brutal repression against its own citizens, dismal human rights record, and deep- seated Armenophobia. That these trials are taking place under a regime that has systematically dehumanized Armenians for decades makes them all the more chilling.
Armenia Gets US Attention by Agreeing to a Mining Deal
Could United States edge out Russia to win a nuclear power plant construction contract?
Armenia and Azerbaijan at Odds Over Peace Process
By Sossi Tatikyan
Azerbaijan’s “Western Azerbaijan” claims are seen as threatening Armenia’s sovereignty, fueling concerns of future conflict.