Breaking
Less than 24 hours after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared “unacceptable” any escalation in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijani forces opened fire on Armenian villages in the Syunik region.
Residents of Khoznavar and Khnatsakh report ongoing shootings, intensifying at night after European observers leave. Civilians, including children, are in constant fear, with daily life severely disrupted. The “Young People of Khoznavar” shared a video of the attacks on March 25, exposing Azerbaijan’s escalating aggression.
Rubio and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan also discussed “shared interests as strategic partners” and the peace process.
This situation will be updated as more details are obtained.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz Demands Azerbaijan Release Armenian Prisoners
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz called for an end to the conflict in the South Caucasus and urged Azerbaijan to release all Armenian prisoners. In a conversation with Hikmet Hajiyev, Azerbaijan’s national security advisor, Waltz emphasized the importance of finalizing the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal and fostering regional stability.
“We should finalize this peace deal now, release the prisoners, and work together to make the region more secure and prosperous,” Waltz stated in an X post on Sunday. He reaffirmed America’s commitment to global peace and prosperity, declaring that the U.S. “won’t stop working until that happens.”
Armenian Parliament Adopts Law to Launch EU Membership Process
Members of the European Parliament Nils Usakovs and Miriam Lexmann have welcomed Armenia’s adoption of a law initiating its EU accession process, calling it a strong commitment to democracy and shared values.
RFE/RL Condemns Jailing of Journalists in Azerbaijan and Other Authoritarian States
“We have people who have sacrificed their liberty and their safety, to broadcast on behalf of RFE/RL, we have several journalists currently languishing in jail inside Russia, in Crimea, in Belarus, Azerbaijan,” said Nicola Careem, Vice President and Editor in Chief of RFE/RL, during a BBC News interview.
BBC’s Mark Lowen Deported from Turkey after Covering Protests
Azerbaijan’s Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and Genocidal Policy
In southern Armenia, the fate of Nagorno- Karabakh looms large
By Théodore Donguy
In the village of Armash, a hundred kilometres south of the Armenian capital Yerevan, Anishit looks up at a huge flag. It is flying from the crest of the mountain that towers above her house, and it features not the red, blue and orange of Armenia but the azure, red and green of Azerbaijan. As she feeds her chickens, this pensioner confides her anxiety: “We’re stuck on this frontier. That’s why we’re scared.”
EU Demands Investigation into Torture Reports, Condemns Azerbaijan’s Sham Trials
- Calls for immediate investigation into reports of torture and ill-treatment of Armenian detainees.
- Sanctions urged against Azerbaijani officials responsible for human rights abuses.
- ICC investigation demanded into ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Armenians.
Belgian Parliament to Debate Sanctions Against Azerbaijan and Call for Armenian Prisoners’ Release
The resolution, initiated by Els Van Hoof and Michel De Maegd, will be debated on April 2 by the Belgian Chamber of Representatives. Van Hoof emphasized that Belgium must support Armenia, a democracy facing aggression, while De Maegd called for urgent action to secure the release of Armenian prisoners.
UK Human Rights Leaders Demand Azerbaijan Free Armenian Hostages
UK Legal and Humanitarian Figures Speak Out
In a powerful open letter to the UK Government, Sir Geoffrey Nice KC, one of the UK’s most prominent human rights lawyers, calls for the immediate release of Armenian hostages unlawfully detained by Azerbaijan.
The letter is co-signed by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights) and Sam Mason, CEO of UK-based Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART).
- Calls for their immediate, unconditional, and dignified release.
- Stresses that the ICRC must be allowed to visit detainees, as it is their only neutral humanitarian link.
- Demands that Stephen Doughty MP, Minister of State for Europe, outline steps the UK Government will take to hold Azerbaijan accountable under international humanitarian law.
Forum on Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh to be Held in Switzerland
Parliament has forced the government to make this event possible by imposing a one-year deadline. After the House of Representatives in December, the Senate approved a motion to this effect on Tuesday by 29 votes to 12. The aim of the meeting is to negotiate the collective return of the Armenian population to the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has been deserted since Azerbaijan’s last military incursion.
Christian Leaders Urge UK Prime Minister to Call for Immediate Release of Armenians Unlawfully Detained by Azerbaijan
Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, alongside a united front of Christian leaders, condemns the unlawful detention of 23 Armenians by Azerbaijan, calling for urgent and decisive intervention from the UK government.
- Stresses widespread global condemnation, with the UN demanding the immediate release of detainees and a fair trial, emphasizing that Azerbaijan’s actions are a blatant violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.
- Highlights Azerbaijan’s silencing of independent journalism through the suspension of BBC operations and the expulsion of the ICRC.
- Demand that the UK government take an uncompromising stance, pressuring Azerbaijan to comply with its international obligations and immediately release the detainees.
Driven by Fear from Nagorno-Karabakh
“We Felt Transparent”: The forgotten Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh
“There was this silence, I couldn’t understand it,” says Lusine, a refugee from Nagorno- Karabakh. “I had this feeling that the international community didn’t care about us having to leave our ancestral land.”
“I was keeping notes in my diary about the blockade,” says Ashot, a teacher who became a citizen journalist after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began. “We felt transparent. We were there surviving, fighting for our lives, and no one noticed us.”
Photos of the Week
Global ARM President Tim Jemal and Advisory Board Member Nerses Kopalyan met with officials at the State Department to discuss strengthening U.S.-Armenia ties as Strategic Partners and achieving a just, durable, and fair peace agreement. The discussions emphasized the urgent need for Baku to release Armenian prisoners, aligning with the demand from National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
Photo Courtesy of Global ARM.
Photo Courtesy of Global ARM.
U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien visited the 11th-century Lori Castle, exploring one of Armenia’s historic landmarks in the region.
Photo Courtesy of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia.
Security
Minister of Internal Affairs and U.S. Ambassador Attend Opening of New Fire and Rescue Station in Stepanavan
Armenian, U.S. Military Officials Hold Talks in Germany
Will Peace Break out Between Armenia and Azerbaijan?
By Olesya Vartanyan
A stable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan could make the South Caucasus significantly more secure, strengthening the sovereignty of its countries and expanding their options for foreign partnerships. Delaying the peace treaty leaves the door open for renewed military clashes.
Former NATO Chief Condemns Potential Azerbaijani Attack on Armenia
Economy
STARLINK Officially Launches in Armenia
STARLINK services are now available in Armenia, marking a major step in expanding reliable, high-speed internet access across the country, including rural and hard-to-reach areas, Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan announced.
Prime Minister Pashinyan Attends Opening of US- Armenian Joint Venture “GTB Steel” Rebar Production Plant in Ararat
The plant, with a $31 million investment, has an annual capacity of 112,800 tons and currently employs 240 people, with plans to increase this number to over 500 in the next three years. The plant’s construction was previously delayed due to security concerns near the line of contact, with an Azerbaijani unlawful military attack on the construction site in June 2023 injuring two workers.
Ambassador Kvien Joins AmCham Biennial Board Selection Process, Aims to Strengthen U.S.-Armenia Economic Ties
Ambassador Kvien expressed his enthusiasm for participating in the AmCham biennial board selection process.
“I was glad to join AmCham for their biennial board selection process and look forward to working with the new team to continue to grow the U.S.-Armenia economic relationship to the benefit of both our countries.”
Opinion
As Azerbaijan Plummets Deeper Into Authoritarianism, Will Trump Respond As Promised?
By Thomas Becker
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently announced that Azerbaijan ordered it to leave the country. The United States and the rest of the international community must not sit idly by. The ICRC is the latest casualty in Azerbaijan’s purge of international non-governmental and media organizations that has sparked concern from human rights groups.
“Azerbaijan Government Wants to Do ‘Gift’ to the Iran Government,” Says Mehdiyev
By Colin Moynihan
How a Russian Mobster Stalked an Iranian Dissident in Brooklyn
Over several days in a Manhattan murder-for-hire trial, Mr. Mehdiyev, an Azerbaijani member of a Russian crime syndicate, gave a detailed description of how Mr. Omarov had directed him in a failed plot to murder Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-born journalist and dissident living in Brooklyn.
Israel Shouldn’t Fall for the Azeri Trojan Horse
By Michael Rubin
If religious freedom is the canary in the coal mine, Azerbaijan is a problem. Both Iran and Turkey boast that their large Jewish populations prove their countries’ tolerance. They turn Jews into museum exhibits and give visitors decades-old figures. Ditto Azerbaijan. Azeri officials tell visitors that Azerbaijan is home to 30,000 Jews but, under the Aliyevs, the country’s Jewish population has dropped precipitously. Freedom House ranks Azerbaijan less free than China and Cuba. While Azerbaijanis can’t vote at the ballot box, they vote with their feet. Regionally, only Armenia’s Jewish population is growing. The Abraham Accords must expand—but keep out the Trojan horse.
What Armenia Peace Processors Should Learn from Cyprus and Yemen
By Michael Rubin
Seeking peace is honorable, but poorly negotiated peace can be more dangerous than the status quo. True peace requires sincerity, especially as some regimes look at diplomacy as an asymmetric warfare strategy to tie their opponent’s hands while they pursue their own fait accompli.
Speaking Peace to Power: Academic Freedom is Crucial to Peace Between Armenia and Azerbaijan
By Laurence Broers, Aude Merlin, Vicken Cheterian, Altay Goyushov
“Long live the brotherhood of the Azerbaijani and Armenian nations!” This is not something you hear very often in Azerbaijan, a country that has been in a state of war with Armenia ever since regaining its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Yet these were the words that a young scholar, Bahruz Samadov, chose to communicate to the world in January 2025 as he was bundled from pre-trial detention to hearing at a local court in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku.
Switzerland Opens a Diplomatic Door—for Armenia to Walk Through
By Vartan Oskanian
By adopting the motion titled “Peace Forum for Nagorno- Karabakh: Enabling the Return of Armenians”— the Swiss Council of States has delivered a rare but essential breakthrough in the stalemated diplomacy surrounding the South Caucasus.