RE:PUBLIC PRESS

#Azerbaijan|i soldier is deliberately shooting at the Christian Armenian Stone Cross (Armenian Khachkar) in the occupied #Hadrut Province of the Republic of #Artsakh. #Azeriwarcrimes #AzerbaijanWarCrimes

Armenia's Court Revokes Artsakh’s Ownership of Its Yerevan Representation Building Driving the news: Armenia’s Administrative Court has invalidated the Republic of Artsakh’s ownership registration for its representative office building in Yerevan, granting a lawsuit filed by the Prosecutor General’s Office. The Prosecutor General’s Office sought to annul the state registration recognizing the property as belonging to the Republic of Artsakh. The court ruled in favor of the government. What they’re saying: Attorney Roman Yeritsyan, who represented Artsakh’s interests in the case, called the ruling “a historic disgrace.” According to Yeritsyan, Armenian authorities are now “legally erasing Artsakh’s presence” after, in his view, having surrendered it politically and militarily. Why it matters: The representative office served for decades as Artsakh’s official presence in Armenia. Following the mass forced deportation of the Armenian population from Artsakh in 2023, it remained one of the few surviving state institutions associated with the former republic. The big picture: he Prosecutor General’s Office filed the lawsuit in 2025, seeking to invalidate Artsakh’s ownership registration for the property. On May 26, 2026, Armenia’s Administrative Court ruled in favor of the government, revoking Artsakh’s ownership rights to the building. Attorney Roman Yeritsyan said the ruling would be appealed to the Administrative Court of Appeals. As of the latest publicly available information, no appellate ruling has been announced:

Held in Azerbaijani Prison, Former Artsakh Speaker Calls Trial a Sham Driving the news: Former Artsakh National Assembly Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, who is being held in a prison in Baku, has issued an audio message addressing the appeal proceedings in his case. The recording was published on the National Assembly of Artsakh’s Facebook page. Ishkhanyan said the proceedings before Azerbaijan’s Court of Appeal are “formal in nature,” but added that he and his legal team appealed the lower court’s verdict because “that is the path leading to an international court.” What they’re saying: Ishkhanyan described the case against him as a politically motivated trial that, which "as nothing to do with criminal offenses and is instead based on ethnic identity and national hatred. He said that the trial court committed gross violations of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Procedure Code, as well as human rights and international law. According to Ishkhanyan, the verdict was issued without evidence and without concrete facts. He also argued that the charges against him were unsupported. He further said that his defense lawyers have not received copies of the indictment, the prosecutorial conclusion, or the court’s verdict. According to Ishkhanyan, they have only been allowed to review electronic versions of those documents in court. At the end of the recording, he said they would continue their legal fight and urged supporters to stay strong. The big picture: According to official figures cited in the statement, 19 Armenian prisoners are currently being held in prisons in Baku, including former political and military leaders of Artsakh who have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years or life imprisonment.

Israel Moves to Recognize Armenian Genocide Amid Gaza War Tensions; Knesset Approval Still Required Driving the news: Israel’s Cabinet unanimously approved a proposal to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The decision, introduced by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, must still be approved by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament. Why it matters: The move comes amid sharply deteriorating relations between Israel and Turkey, particularly following disputes over the war in Gaza. Israel had previously avoided formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, partly due to diplomatic sensitivities with Turkey. What they’re saying: According to a statement from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Sa’ar described recognition as a moral and historical responsibility, arguing that the Armenian Genocide remains subject to denial and historical revisionism. Turkey criticized the decision, calling it “political” and accusing Israel of attempting to divert attention from allegations against it over its actions in Gaza. “The Israeli government, which has systematically persecuted the Palestinian people before the eyes of the entire world and is being tried at the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide against the people of Gaza, is seeking to cover up its own crimes through the political decision it has adopted regarding the events of 1915,” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The big picture: The recognition would mark a significant shift in Israel’s longstanding position on the Armenian Genocide. The decision will now require approval by the Knesset before becoming final.

Armenia’s Central Election Commission Completes Vote Count Driving the news: The Central Election Commission of Armenia has completed the counting of votes from the country’s parliamentary election. A total of 2,503,976 citizens were eligible to vote. According to the commission, 1.458.677 voters participated, resulting in a turnout of 58.97%. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ruling Civil Contract party received 727.160 votes, or 49,85%% of the total vote, securing 61 seats in the 105-member National Assembly. The Strong Armenia Alliance, led by Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan, who is currently under house arrest, received 340,062 votes, or 23.31%, winning 28 seats. The Armenia Alliance, led by former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan, received 145,097 votes, or 9.95%, securing 11 seats. The Prosperous Armenia Party received 58,368 votes, or 4%, securing 5 seats. Why it matters: A parliamentary majority requires 53 seats. With 61 seats, Civil Contract holds a governing majority and does not need to form a coalition government. The big picture: Although Civil Contract secured a majority, its 61 seats fall short of the 70-seat threshold required for a constitutional majority. As a result, the ruling party would be unable to pass constitutional amendments on its own. Constitutional changes required by Azerbaijan would require support from opposition lawmakers, as the government lacks the votes necessary to amend the constitution without cross-party backing. #Armenia

Four Armenian POWs Returned by Azerbaijan; Two Syrian Mercenaries Transferred to Syria Driving the news: Azerbaijan has transferred four Armenian prisoners to Armenia via the Hakari (Khakari) Bridge, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced. All four are now on Armenian territory and undergoing initial medical checks. At the same time, Armenia’s Ministry of Justice said it handed over two Syrian nationals to Syrian authorities via Turkey. The men had been serving life sentences in Armenia for crimes related to the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. What they’re saying: Pashinyan confirmed that Gevorg Sujyan, Davit Davtyan and Viken Euljekjian showed no health issues in primary evaluation, and Vagif Khachatryan’s condition is preliminarily assessed as satisfactory. The big picture: Three of the returned Armenians were detained in the aftermath of the 44-day 2020 war; the fourth, Vagif Khachatryan, was abducted in 2023. They had been convicted by Azerbaijani sham courts on charges including “espionage and other offenses”. Armenia’s justice ministry said it transferred two Syrian mercenaries, Yousef Alaabet al-Hajji and Muhhrab Muhammad al-Shkhari, back to Syrian jurisdiction after they had been sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021 on terrorism-related charges. Dozens more Armenian prisoners remain in Azerbaijani custody.

Catholicos Aram I to Pashinyan: “Antelias does not need directives from Yerevan” Driving the news Since Armenia’s independence, the position of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia has been “clear and consistent in the face of internal and external crises,” said Catholicos Aram I. He added: “Therefore Antelias does not need dictates or instructions from Yerevan. Antelias decides for itself what it must say and do, guided always by the common and highest interests, values and ideals of our people and homeland.” Earlier, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan dismissed Aram I’s statements as “scenes not included in the film,” referring to them as leftover fragments of a narrative about Armenia’s destruction. “When Armenia is not dying, they cannot engage with her,” Pashinyan said. What they’re saying — Aram I insisted the Catholicosate acts independently, without needing “dictates or instructions from Yerevan.” — Pashinyan mocked the Catholicosate’s remarks as irrelevant extras: “They resemble interesting moments from filming or scenes not included in the film about Armenia’s destruction.”

Pashinyan invites Erdogan and Aliyev to Yerevan for 2026 EPC summit Driving the news Armenia has extended verbal invitations to Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey and Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan to attend the 8th summit of the European Political Community (EPC), slated for May 2026 in Yerevan. Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told reporters: “We have conveyed the invitations. The documents have not been sent yet, but we have verbally invited participation at the highest level.” He added that it is too early to say whether the two leaders will attend — “all of this is very fresh.” What they’re saying Mirzoyan stressed that Armenia is engaged in “intensive dialogue” with Turkey and pointed to Aug. 8’s Washington-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization agreement as a turning point. On the possibility of visits by Aliyev to Yerevan or Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to Baku, Mirzoyan said: “I am not saying we are ready to see Aliyev in Yerevan or Pashinyan in Baku today, but one day this will happen.” @REPUBLICPRESS

Azerbaijani MP Claims Armenian Territory “Belongs to Us” Driving the news Hikmet Babaoglu, a member of parliament from Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan Party, declared in a recent interview that the territory of the Republic of Armenia “belongs to us.” He linked his remarks to personal experience, stating he was born and raised in what is Armenia’s Shirak Province and claimed strong memories tied to the land. He also said that although Azerbaijan can build economic and trade relations with the people living now on what he described as “our historical lands,” “we must never forget the crimes committed by Armenians against the Azerbaijani people.” What they’re saying In the interview, Babaoglu said: “Armenia is my homeland. This place where I was born, grew up, studied and which was my home. The fact that the state is called Armenia doesn’t change reality: this geographical territory belongs to us.” He added that he wants “to physically touch those memories again, to see the great material and cultural heritage left to us by our ancestors.” He emphasized: “We can build any economic or trade relations with the people who today live on our historical lands … but we must never forget the crimes committed by Armenians against the Azerbaijani people.”

Ruben Vardanyan Rejects His Private Counsel Driving the news Ruben Vardanyan announced in Azeri sham trial on October 21 2025 that he is dismissing his private lawyer, Avraam Berman, citing dissatisfaction with the trial’s proceedings and claiming that he could not mount an adequate defence. A court in Baku accepted Vardanyan’s petition to waive his private attorney and assigned a state-appointed defence counsel. What they’re saying Vardanyan stated that he “cannot participate in this farce” and labelled the presence of a contract lawyer as creating merely “the illusion of defence.” According to his statement via family channels, the lawyer’s dismissal stems from “the absence of conditions necessary for professional defence” and “violations of legal norms.” The Azerbaijani prosecution acknowledged his right to waive representation but noted he must either engage another lawyer or accept the appointment of a state-assigned one.

Armenia Reduces Mandatory Military Service to 18 Months as Defence Budget Cuts Loom Driving the news Armenia will shorten the duration of compulsory military service from two years to 18 months starting January 1, 2026. At the same time, the government plans to cut defence spending by about 15 % in 2026 — allocating roughly 563 billion drams (≈US$1.46 billion) to the Ministry of Defence of Armenia, down from 664–661 billion drams in 2025. What they’re saying Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the earlier start date (winter draft 2026) reflects the government’s assessment that “the law will take effect earlier” and underscores that reforms are underway. Deputy Defence Minister Arman Sargsyan reassured that despite budget cuts, “all the positive reforms that have begun will not be suspended.” Military analyst Leonid Nersisyan warned: “At this stage we cannot afford to cut the budget. The army is in a phase of transformation … Growth should remain strong for at least a few more years.”

Catholicos Convenes with Artsakh Leaders Over Displacement, Prisoners, Heritage Shielding Driving the news: Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II met with state figures and political representatives of Artsakh at the Mother See in Echmiadzin. Topics included challenges facing displaced Artsakhiots, defending their rights, freeing hostages and prisoners, locating the missing, and preserving Artsakh’s spiritual and cultural heritage. The Mother See announced the meeting. What they’re saying: According to the Mother See, participants reaffirmed “the importance of consistent joint actions in international forums to advocate for the rights of the people of Artsakh, ensure the release of hostages and prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan, determine the fate of the missing, and preserve Artsakh’s spiritual and cultural heritage.”

Turkic States Endorse “Zangezur Corridor” in Gabala Declaration At the 12th summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Gabala, Azerbaijan, leaders adopted the Gabala Declaration, which explicitly references development of the so-called “Zangezur Corridor.” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said the declaration “confirms strengthened solidarity in the Turkic world, increased mutual trust, and commitment to sovereignty, independence, and statehood.” Bayramov also highlighted the corridor as part of the Middle Corridor transport route, saying it will boost trade, intraregional economic cooperation, and connectivity among Turkic-speaking nations.

Expert Opinion: Alleged conflict of interest at UN working group in Ruben Vardanyan case Driving the news • On Feb. 17, 2025, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) published Opinion No. 46/2024, concluding that Azerbaijan’s detention of Ruben Vardanyan was not arbitrary. • In an Oct. 2025 expert opinion, First ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo argues the WGAD process was compromised by a conflict of interest involving Dr. Ganna Yudkivska, the group’s Chair-Rapporteur. Why it matters: • Ocampo contends Yudkivska should have recused herself from cases involving Azerbaijan because she is a partner at Equity Law Firm in Kyiv, which has represented SOCAR, Azerbaijan’s state oil company, in Ukraine. He argues this creates a direct or perceived financial link to a party before the WGAD. • The WGAD’s methods require members to refrain from participating where a conflict of interest “may” exist. Credible concerns about impartiality could undermine confidence in WGAD opinions. What they’re saying • Luis Moreno Ocampo calls for the WGAD to invalidate Opinion No. 46/2024 and re-hear the petition de novo, citing undisclosed conflicts tied to Yudkivska’s law-firm partnership and SOCAR work. (Attribution: Ocampo’s published expert opinion.) • UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk (Mar. 3, 2025) said: “All those arbitrarily detained in Azerbaijan, including ethnic Armenians, must be released immediately, and fair trial rights must be respected fully.” • The WGAD opinion in question found Vardanyan’s detention was not arbitrary. The big picture • Dr. Ganna Yudkivska is identified publicly as Chair-Rapporteur of the WGAD in 2025; Equity’s website lists her as a partner and references her UN role. • Equity’s site highlights a “significant victory for the SOCAR gas station chain,” supporting Ocampo’s claim that the firm represents SOCAR in Ukraine. • Separately, the broader context around Armenian detainees has drawn international scrutiny: the ICJ issued provisional measures in Nov. 2023 related to post-offensive conditions; the ICRC confirmed in Sept. 2025 it was closing its delegation in Azerbaijan after years of access to Armenian detainees.

44-Day War Report Sent to Confidential Archive, Inaccessible to Public Driving the news The report prepared by the parliamentary inquiry committee investigating the 44-day war has been placed in the confidential archive of Armenia’s National Assembly, making it inaccessible to the public, according to Movses Harutyunyan, adviser to Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan. What they’re saying “Given that, due to timing discrepancies, it was legally impossible to include the report of the investigative committee studying the circumstances of the 44-day war on the plenary agenda, a decision was made—after consultations with all legally concerned parties—to send the report to the National Assembly archives,” Harutyunyan told Azatutyun (RFE/RL’s Armenian Service). “Any MP with the necessary security clearance can access the archive and review the report,” he added. Meanwhile, Andranik Kocharyan, chair of the inquiry committee, said he had expected the National Assembly Council to schedule the report for discussion at an upcoming plenary session.

Arman Tatoyan Enters Politics After Tenure as Armenia’s Ombudsman Driving the news: Armenian human rights advocate Arman Tatoyan has announced his entry into politics. Previously, he served as Armenia’s Ombudsman. What they’re saying: “I have dedicated my professional life to human rights advocacy, but under the current conditions, that work alone is not yielding results,” Tatoyan said in a statement from the “Center for Law and Justice ‘Tatoyan’.” “I am submitting an application to leverage politics to unify people and advance the country toward genuine peace,” he added.

Azerbaijan to Boost 2026 Defense Spending by 3% as Armenian PM Signals Cut Driving the news The Azerbaijani government’s draft 2026 budget allocates 8.815 billion manats ($5.12 billion) for defense and national security, about 21% of all state expenditures. That’s an increase from 2025, when the allocation was 8.555 billion manats ($5.03 billion), or roughly 20.7%. The increase is 3% year-over-year. Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in parliament that defense spending in 2026 will be lower than in 2025. He said that 2025 saw a “disproportionately large increase” in defense outlays, partly due to accelerated repayment of future debts and obligations in the defense sector. What they’re saying • Pashinyan said that Armenia’s 2025 defense budget was raised sharply compared to 2024, including using part of those funds to repay obligations due far in the future. • He clarified that the 2026 budget will not increase defense spending but reduce it relative to 2025.

Catholicos Karekin II Raises Artsakh Armenians, POWs in Meeting with Pope Leo XIV Driving the news Catholicos of All Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, met Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo today. During their conversation, Karekin II brought up the plight of Armenians displaced from Artsakh, the risk to Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage there, and the urgent need for the release of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held in Azerbaijan. He also invited the Pope to visit Armenia. What they’re saying • According to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Karekin II expressed confidence that relations between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the Roman Catholic Church “will continue to develop in the same fraternal spirit and warmth, leading to new and good joint achievements.” • He recalled historical points of cooperation.