Breaking
Global ARM Statement on Azerbaijan Shelling Armenian Villages
“For the past ten days, Azerbaijan has been shelling the Armenian villages of Khoznavar and Khnatsakh in Southern Armenia’s Syunik Province. These unacceptable violations of Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity have resulted in damage to residential buildings and increased fear at a time when Azerbaijan should be demonstrating it is ready for a just and durable peace.
Further, without evidence, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense continues to make preposterous claims that Armenia is violating the recent ceasefire agreement by shelling Azerbaijani Army positions in the Nakhchivian enclave. This propaganda shows that Azerbaijan remains unserious about peace in the South Caucasus and reveals Ilham Aliyev’s true agenda: aggression, war, and terror against Armenians.
Azerbaijan continues to engage in hostile actions not unlike those that preceded Azerbaijan’s previous attacks against Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh in 2020, 2022, and 2023. These latest attacks come at a time when Azerbaijan continues to occupy more than 200 sq kilometers of sovereign Armenian territory, detain 23 Armenian hostages, and destroy sacred Armenian churches and holy sites.
Azerbaijan’s behavior defies America’s goal to end conflict in the region and is a rebuke of National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio who have boldly called for ceasing aggression, releasing Armenian prisoners, and signing a peace agreement.
Armenia has repeatedly made concessions to achieve peace. The only path forward is for the U.S. Government to employ all means necessary to deter Azerbaijani aggression, strengthen U.S.-Armenia economic and security ties under the Strategic Partnership, and achieve a just and durable peace in the South Caucasus.”
CFTJ Issues a Report on Azerbaijan’s Attack on Armenian Territory in Syunik
For over a week and a half, Azerbaijani forces have relentlessly fired on Armenia’s Syunik region, with gunfire intensifying after EU observers leave. Tracer bullets streak above homes, agricultural work has come to a halt, and families—especially children—live in constant fear, sleeping fully dressed in case they need to flee. The international community must condemn these attacks and take action to prevent further escalation.
“For five nights, there have been continuous shootings, starting at 10:20 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. The people are in a panic. Red bullets are passing over the village. The people are scared… We’ve been living in terror for five nights. They are using different types of weapons.” — Testimony from a Border Village Resident.
European Parliament to Discuss 110th Anniversary of Armenian Genocide in Plenary Session
Azerbaijan’s Ethnic Cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh and Genocidal Policy
British MPs Condemn Azerbaijan’s Detention of Armenian Prisoners, Call for Government Action
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Armenia strongly condemns the detention and trials of 23 Armenian prisoners in Baku addressed to the UK Government.
- Urges UK Government Ministers to pressure Azerbaijan for their release.
- Cites reports from the Centre for Truth and Justice (2022) about fabricated charges and forced confessions in Azerbaijani trials.
- Expresses deep concern over lack of independent legal support, torture reports, and restricted international access.
- Condemns the suspension of BBC News Azerbaijani and Voice of America and the expulsion of ICRC and UN agencies from Azerbaijan.
- Highlights severe restrictions on prisoner contact with families and particular concern for Ruben Vardanyan, who endured a nearly month-long hunger strike.
- Stresses that the imprisonment of Nagorno-Karabakh leaders further victimizes a population already subjected to discrimination and conflict.
Calls on UK Ministers to:
- Facilitate British Embassy visits to the Armenian prisoners.
- Urge Azerbaijan to reinstate ICRC access and allow media scrutiny.
- Demand the immediate release of all remaining Armenian prisoners.
Nine Years Ago: Azerbaijani Forces Committed Unprecedented War Crimes, Including Brutal Killings and Beheadings
Nine years ago, Azerbaijani armed forces committed horrific war crimes, including the brutal killings and beheadings of elderly civilians.
ICRC: 429 Armenians Still Missing, Families Seek Answers Amid Ongoing Tracing Efforts
The ICRC delegation in Armenia received around 1,290 calls and visits related to conflict-related family separation. Currently, 429 Armenian citizens and ethnic Armenians from Karabakh remain missing. The ICRC facilitated 557 Red Cross messages between detainees and their families and transferred three individuals from Karabakh to Armenia. Additionally, the ICRC supported forensic efforts by donating vital DNA analysis equipment, training experts, and enhancing mortuary facilities with refrigerated containers and autopsy equipment.
Walls of Remembrance: Armenia’s Murals of War and Memory
By Anthony Pizzoferrato
As you walk the streets of Yerevan or the quiet alleys of Armenian towns, you’re bound to come across vivid murals of soldiers, both young and old. Their faces are immortalized in paint, their stories etched into the walls of the communities they once called home.
These are not just random images; they are powerful symbols of loss, remembrance and a nation’s attempt to heal. Many of these portraits honor those who lost their lives in the wars of 2016, 2020 and 2022, often painted in the districts where they lived, studied or served. What began as a grassroots tribute has now become a striking and sometimes divisive part of Armenia’s urban landscape.
Photos of the Week
Photos of bullet holes in the window and walls show the aftermath of Azerbaijani fire on Khnatsakh, Syunik Province, on March 31.
Photo Courtesy of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia.
Thousands rallied in Yerevan’s Freedom Square as Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and their supporters demanded the right to return and the release of Armenian prisoners of war illegally held in Baku.
Photo Courtesy of CivilNet.
U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien at the EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) in Goris, Syunik Province, where she received a briefing on EUMA’s activities in the region and the latest developments along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.
Photo Courtesy of EUMA.
Driven by Fear from Nagorno-Karabakh
Cooking Through Crisis: Rebuilding Lives Through “Zhingyalov Hats”
By Vladimir Grigoryan
Following the ethnic cleansing of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, Vladimir Grigoryan and his family were among the tens of thousands forced to flee their homes and start anew in Armenia. Although they had a place to stay in Yerevan’s Nor Nork district, the sense of loss was overwhelming— they felt no emotional connection to either the city or their apartment. Grieving but determined to move forward, they had to find a way to rebuild their lives. It was then that Vladimir’s elder daughter, Laura, suggested opening a bistro as a family business.
Security
Chris Hargis of Kansas Army National Guard Delivers Lecture at Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy
Command Sergeant Major Chris Hargis of the Kansas Army National Guard from the U.S. delivered a lecture at the Vazgen Sargsyan Military Academy in Armenia, focusing on leadership, discipline, and teamwork.
Armenia Refuses to Finance Russian-Led CSTO Security Alliance Budget
By Dmytro Basmat
Armenia has refused to pay its contributions to the budget of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for the past year, the country’s Foreign Ministry said on March 31, after suspending its participation in the military alliance in August 2024.
Nagorno-Karabakh: The Unresolved Conflict Threatening Regional Stability
Looking ahead, the risk of renewed conflict, particularly over Azerbaijan’s ambitions for the Zangezur corridor, remains high, threatening further instability in the South Caucasus with lasting consequences for regional and European security.
Only Weak Souls Are Afraid of Peace” – MEP Loiseau on Baku’s Delay in Signing Peace Agreement with Yerevan
Economy
U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien Visits Southern Armenia, Meets with EU Border Monitors and Highlights U.S. Investments in Armenia
“Armenias Wants Peace…Hostile Rhetoric and Baseless Claims Only Serve to Undermine the Real Progress Negotiations Are Making”.
Culture
Armenian Embassy in the U.S. Hosts Reception in Honor of Starmus Team Ahead of ‘From Earth to Space’ Festival
On May 30, the Embassy of Armenia to the U.S. hosted a reception in honor of the Starmus team, led by co-founder Garik Israelian, ahead of their participation in the “From Earth to Space” festival at the Kennedy Center. The event featured remarks from Ambassador Lilit Makunts and Israelian, who outlined upcoming Starmus events, including a panel discussion on cosmic origins and the American premiere of Starmus VI.
Opinion
Aliyev’s Performative Gamble: The Draft Agreement on Peace
By Nerses Kopalyan
In essence, peace takes away Aliyev’s domestic political oxygen as he nourishes the institutions of his state and its patronal autocratic system by maintaining conflict with Armenia. Similarly, peace takes away Aliyev’s geopolitical bread and butter, for his entire foreign and security system is designed to be in a state of war with Armenia. It is precisely for these reasons that signing a peace treaty is deemed by Aliyev as the ultimate concession. This is why he concocted the stratagem that he did: speak performatively of peace with the U.S., but make no concessions of peace with Armenia.
Should Israel Reconsider Ties with Azerbaijan?
By Stephan Pechdimaldji
While it is understandable why Israel would want to strengthen its ties with Azerbaijan in the name of realpolitik, what is not clear is why they would want to do so at the expense of human rights.
Armenia Pursues Peace, Azerbaijan Seeks Coercion
By Sossi Tatikyan
While the international community has praised Armenia’s concessions, it must address Azerbaijan’s continued obstruction and coercive tactics. Calls for peace must come with clear pressure on Azerbaijan to finalize the treaty without additional preconditions. The U.S., the EU, and other actors must move beyond merely applauding negotiations and take an active role in ensuring a fair, sustainable and enforceable peace.