Tag: Artsakh

Is it necessary to assimilate or exterminate a people to affirm one's identity? Has an Azerbaijani identity been founded upon the genocide of a people, who, like in Turkey, lived side by side with the Turkic populations until the rise of nationalism?

The 2020 Artsakh War changed the geopolitical picture in the South Caucasus, impacting all the countries in the region. While there were clear winners and losers, some countries both won and lost.

Azerbaijan’s premeditated war against Karabakh was a blow to the prevailing world order, particularly the principle that international disputes be resolved through peaceful means. The world powers must condemn Azerbaijan’s violation and mitigate the damage it has caused.

In December 2020, the EU passed the Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, equipping its foreign policy arsenal with a powerful new tool to protect human rights. Armenians should be paying close attention to how it will be used.

Will the formation of a Truth Commission on the 2020 Artsakh War make it possible to rectify persistent and systemic errors that led to such military and geopolitical failures?

EVN Report looks back at a year that forced the Armenian people to battle multiple fronts, from the COVID-19 pandemic to a 44-day war launched by Azerbaijan that resulted in devastating human and territorial losses.

A concerted effort is needed to overcome the crisis the Armenian nation is facing. To do that, we need to understand where we are now, be honest, admit mistakes, learn lessons and move forward, writes Hovsep Kanadyan.

Volunteers and mayors have been left to fend for themselves as Azerbaijani troops walk up to and past the edges of their border communities in an area that was never demarcated as an international border.

International human rights defending organizations have been speaking in a language of “neutrality” which, in the context of the war crimes committed by Azerbaijan during and after the 2020 Artsakh War, is anything but objective, writes Karena Avedissian.

This opinion piece argues that Armenia can pursue a strategy that can lead to the defense of democracy with respect to the right to self-determination of peoples by aligning itself with other stateless nations.

The Yezidis of Armenia fought alongside their Armenian comrades during the 2020 Artsakh War. One Yezidi volunteer says that “this is our country, the graves of our ancestors are here and the future of our children is here.”

As part of its mirroring propaganda operation during the war that was intended to cloud the information landscape, Azerbaijan also systematically mirrored the Armenian side’s visuals as well.

A coalition of 16 political parties and others have been demanding the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan following the Russian-brokered trilateral agreement that ended the 2020 Artsakh War.

Throughout the 2020 Artsakh War, the UK Government was mostly impotent, writes James Derounian. It instead has and continues to provide blind, sometimes tacit, support for Turkey directly and its ally Azerbaijan indirectly.

Faced with loss and uncertainty, the Armenians of Artsakh are trying to come to grips with the defeat following the war and finding a way to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.

The isolationism of former global powers in a fractured world has left vulnerable countries at the mercy of power-hungry regional players.

The defeat in Artsakh was a profound loss on multiple levels. The actions taken today, will impact the future of the Armenian nation.

Taking into account Turkey’s overt support to Azerbaijan during the 2020 Artsakh War, Armenia’s government has decided to ban the import of Turkish goods for six months. The ban will take effect on December 31 of this year.

Instead of presenting a detailed plan to help guide the country toward a number of clearly-defined national goals, PM Nikol Pashinyan’s road map resembled a laundry list of necessary post-war actions to take to mitigate the fallout.

After 44 days of reluctant and often one-sided reporting of the 2020 Artsakh War and amidst the grey horror of cluster bombed homes, the red flames of Karvajar’s houses instantly made international headlines.

In the context of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the “Albanian connection” has become a politicized issue of irredentism, hijacking the rich Christian heritage of Karabakh. The roots of this historiography go back to the Soviet policy of “nativization".

During the Artsakh War, Azerbaijan used mirroring propaganda to try and keep the two sides on equal moral terms, creating an information fog until international journalists began arriving to the conflict zone.

In Artsakh, there is a somber air of loss, uncertainty and grief. During 45 days of war, everyone and everything from soldiers to villagers, trees to structures were afflicted and irreversibly altered. A collection of images from November 12-14, a few days after the "peace" agreement.

Western countries imposed sanctions on Belarus’ Aleksandr Lukashenko for cracking down on democracy and attacking civilians. Ilham Aliyev has actually been more brutal but has not been penalized.

In the wake of the November 10 ceasefire agreement and introduction of Russian peacekeepers to Artsakh, details of its implementation are still being discussed. Meanwhile, opposition party leaders were arrested for allegedly planning Pashinyan’s assassination.

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format to remain unchanged. Protests continue in Yerevan. Pashinyan meets with President and parliamentary caucus.

Resolve is different from blind faith that “this too shall pass.” We need the entire Armenian nation to start getting ready for the next encounter, writes Raffi Kassarjian.

The country is shaken after crushing terms were imposed to end the 2020 Artsakh War. As government buildings were vandalized overnight, attention has shifted to Yerevan. Updates to be provided as they develop.

As fierce battles for the defense of Shushi continue, a number of opposition forces demand the resignation of the Prime Minister and the government; a Russian military helicopter is shot down by Azerbaijani forces from the exclave of Nakhichevan.

Armenian forces were able to hold the strategic and symbolic city of Shushi even as Azerbaijani forces brought in additional reinforcements. The battle for the fortress town continues to be bloody.

The ongoing war in Artsakh has profoundly impacted the Armenian world. Photojournalist Eric Grigorian's photo essay reflects on those who have had to bear the heavy human toll in protecting and safeguarding the homeland. Images are from Artsakh, Goris and Yerevan, taken between October 24 and November 5, 2020.

Intense battles have been taking place around Shushi. Azerbaijani forces were able to advance closer to the city today. According to the Defense Ministry, Azerbaijan is putting all of its power into capturing the symbolic fortress town.

It had been almost two decades since Gohar Karapetyan last made the trip from Artsakh to Yerevan when she decided, on the morning of October 1, to repeat the journey, this time to escape a raging war.

Armenia’s Defense Ministry says that, after intense battles, the defense of Shushi has been successful. After heavy bombing the night before, an elderly woman and her two grandchildren were killed. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Statistics about numbers of civilians and young conscripts killed in conflict often water down the true magnitude of human loss. This is the story of one family’s struggle through the 2020 Artsakh War.

The Artsakh War has entered its 40th day. More than 1100 Armenian servicemen and 50 civilians have been killed. As Azerbaijani forces attempt to reach Shushi, the President of Artsakh says that everything is being done to ensure the town remains impregnable.

While today marks the 70th anniversary of the signature of the European Convention on Human Rights, civilian settlements in Artsakh continue to be targeted by Azerbaijani forces resulting in civilian casualties and damage to vital civilian infrastructure.

In Stepanakert, EVN Report spoke with Artsakh's Ombudsman Artak Beglaryan about the political decisions of the international community and the reasons for the artificial parity in their vocabulary, their failure to realize that authoritarian regimes do not understand the language of statements but that of action and their failure to prevent, followed by their failure to protect.

Stepanakert and Shushi came under shelling again this evening; Azerbaijani forces have started using banned incendiary cluster munitions; Lavrov says external players must use their powers to prevent mercenaries being sent to the Nagorno-Karabakh region. A chronology of official updates.

As the war rages on, almost 80,000 Armenians from Artsakh have fled their native towns and cities and found refuge throughout Armenia proper. While they are grateful for the care they are receiving, their dream is to go back home.

Forests in almost all the regions of Artsakh are burning because of incendiary munitions; Azerbaijani forces attempt a large-scale offensive in the northwestern direction of the front line; Artsakh’s Deputy Minister of Defense is killed in battle. Here is a chronology of official updates.

A second jihadist mercenary is captured by the Artsakh Defense Army, who admits to being offered a $2000/month salary, plus a bonus of $100 for each beheading. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Despite international calls, mediation efforts and urgent appeals to cease fire, the war in Artsakh continues unabated. There is evidence that Azerbaijani forces used phosphorus munitions signaling a new low in the hostilities. Here is a chronology of official updates.

The 2020 Karabakh War has had regional implications for neighboring countries, specifically on Iranian public and foreign policy. Hamed Kazemzadeh looks at the internal and external dimensions of Iran’s stance.

As Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Geneva for mediated talks, Azerbaijani forces continued to shell peaceful settlements in Artsakh and Armenia. U.S. National Security Advisor says any Turkish mediation is a non-starter, suggests Scandinavian peacekeepers be deployed.

A meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan is expected to take place in Geneva tomorrow; Stepanakert and other towns and villages continue to come under constant shelling by Azerbaijani forces. Here is a chronology of official updates.

This primer provides the reader with an overview of the historical origins of the Karabakh conflict, the Soviet era, the war, the peace process all the way to the Four Day War in April 2016.

Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh and the town of Shushi came under intensive shelling today by Azerbaijani forces. A maternity hospital in Stepanakert and other civilian infrastructure were heavily damaged resulting in casualties. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Ilham Aliyev’s gamble is doomed to fail. His risk calculation and management toolbox is inherently defective. The initial military advantage of his army had clear drivers which the Defense Army of Artsakh has now fully identified, unearthed and contextualized.

A month has passed since Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched a large-scale attack on Artsakh. To date, over 1000 Armenian servicemen have been killed, countless wounded while civilian settlements continue to be bombarded. Here is a chronology of official updates.

The U.S.-brokered humanitarian ceasefire that was to come into force at 8 a.m. local time on October 26 has not held. As battles continued, Artsrun Hovhannisyan admitted that Azerbaijani forces are at the gates of Armenia’s Syunik region, but said the situation is not dire. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to yet another humanitarian ceasefire in Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh that will come into effect at 8 a.m. local time on October 26, 2020. Here is a chronology of official updates.

The humanitarian emergency in the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh requires the engagement of humanitarian and donor organizations, without regard to its international recognition, its present or future status.

While Azerbaijani forces continue to target peaceful settlements, Artsakh’s Ombudsman said civilians in Artsakh are at high risk as Azerbaijani subversive units move into civilian settlements and pull back. There are a number of civilians missing. Here is a chronology of official updates.

As Armenian and Azerbaijani forces continue to pummel one another, battle lines across Artsakh are being drawn, erased and redrawn. Diplomacy, at least for the time being, has broken down and the future remains uncertain. Here is a chronology of official updates.

The narrow geopolitical framework of the three-decade-old Karabakh conflict is now threatening to become a Eurasian nightmare: Turkey's involvement has sensationalized the war, Iran’s unease has reinforced the confusion, while Russia's perceived passiveness has created much regional anxiety.

As intense military operations continue in Artsakh, the number of COVID-19 cases in Armenia has skyrocketed. Healthcare officials warn that with the number of wounded soldiers requiring medical care, if people don’t start following the anti-epidemic guidelines, the healthcare system could collapse.

Armenophobic comments from Azerbaijani’s President are nothing new. He has long drummed up support among his population by promoting hatred against Armenians and using dehumanizing language, often referring to them as dogs and vermin.

In light of the existential threat, high probability of ethnic cleansing and the already imminent humanitarian crisis in Artsakh, the international community has an obligation to grant remedial recognition to Artsakh.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan said hope for a diplomatic solution is not viable at this stage as Azerbaijan is refusing to compromise. In fact, he said that Baku will not agree to anything less than the capitulation of Karabakh. Here is a chronology of official updates.

As the death toll mounts for both sides in the war, contact lines are constantly shifting as pitched battles are taking place, primarily in the south of Artsakh; some legislators in France and the U.S. are calling for the recognition of the Republic of Artsakh. Here is a chronology of official updates.

As PM Nikol Pashinyan and President Ilham Aliyev express willingness to meet in Moscow to discuss the ongoing war in Artsakh, the foreign ministers of the two countries are set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, D.C. this Friday. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Fleeing the war, the women of Artsakh -- mothers, daughters, sisters and wives -- held a rally in front of the UN building in Yerevan asking for one simple thing, the right to live in peace.

A second attempt at a cessation of fire for humanitarian purposes failed after Azerbaijani forces began firing using artillery and small arms several minutes after the truce was supposed to come into effect. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Journalist Lusine Musayelyan remembers the first war. She remembers Baroness Caroline Cox giving her colorful candy in crinkly paper. She remembers the bombing and the bunkers.

Following a day that saw Azerbaijani drones being shot down over Armenian airspace, Stepanakert coming under heavy shelling and the Azerbaijani city of Ganja being hit, a humanitarian truce was announced. Here is a chronology of official updates.

As the number of casualties, both military and civilian, increases intense battles continue in Artsakh. The war, now in its 20th day, continues to rage. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Photojournalist Eric Grigorian captures the devastation of war, its destruction of lives, heritage sites and schools. A portrait of a nation at war, of a capital where the elderly and the grieving live underground.

The children of Artsakh are enduring displacement, loss and trauma. While Artsakh is not a recognized state, the children of Artsakh have a right to be recognized, protected and cared for. As the war rages, the human cost will be unbearable. Here is a chronology of official updates.

As Azerbaijani forces intensified their operations along the front line Artsakh President of Arayik Harutyunyan and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia addressed the nation. Here is a chronology of official updates.

The war has infiltrated almost every Armenian home. While soldiers are fighting on the front, a new generation of children and their families who escaped this new war in Artsakh are looking for ways to cope with the new trauma.

As one of the most intense battles since the start of the war took place today, Artsakh’s President called for the participation of every Armenian to ensure future generations live in peace, while Armenia’s Foreign Affairs Minister met with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. Here is a chronology of official updates.

As the Foreign Affairs Ministers of Armenia and Russia met in Moscow to discuss the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, intense battles continued in the southern direction of the frontline. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Artsakh’s president says that if Azerbaijan does not show willingness to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in the next two days, he will request that Armenia and other countries formally recognize the independence of the Republic of Artsakh. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Does the armed conflict of international character waged by Azerbaijan and Turkey against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh warrant an international recognition of Artsakh’s remedial secession?

After almost two weeks of bloody battles in Artsakh, a humanitarian ceasefire was brokered in Moscow. As the deadline approached, Azerbaijani intensified their military operations. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Azerbaijan, in collaboration with Turkey is responsible for grave breaches of international humanitarian law and war crimes. The international tribunal should not turn a blind eye to the situation.

As the foreign ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia meet in Moscow to try and agree on a cessation of hostilities, Azerbaijani armed forces attack Stepanakert. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Statements and hints by Azerbaijan about an impending war went unheeded. Why would Armenia want to halt the negotiation process to start a war? Here are some of the facts and context which demonstrate it was Azerbaijan that started the war.

As battles continue along the Line of Contact, the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi was targeted twice today by Azerbaijani forces, considerably damaging the historic monument and wounding several foreign journalists. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Now in its eleventh day, the Artsakh War is proving to be one of the fiercest, bloodiest battles the region has seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Here is a chronology of official updates.

As civilian infrastructure continues to be targeted in Stepanakert, the Azerbaijani military launched another large-scale offensive in the southern direction of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact today. Here is a chronology of official updates.

Given the geography, tactics and methods of the Azerbaijani offensive, the autocratic regime of Ilham Aliyev is aiming to forcibly occupy the territory of Artsakh through committing large-scale atrocities.

As the hordes mass at Armenia’s gates, the U.S. and Europe, the supposed guardians of peace and justice, remain reluctant to intervene to halt the violence due to self-interest and capitulation to Turkish blackmail.

The inclusion of the term genocide is not being loosely thrown around. As the war rages on, the potential for genocide against ethnic Armenians in Artsakh is very real and highly probable, writes Suren Manukyan.

As fierce battles continue on the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Artsakh as civilians and vital infrastructure come under fire, particularly in the capital Stepanakert.

As Stepanakert came under continuous bombardment today, Armenian forces went on the counter-offensive and targeted the military airport in Ganja, Azerbaijan. Here is a chronology of official updates.

As Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh came under continual shelling by Azerbaijani armed forces, photojournalist Eric Grigorian captured the devastating aftermath.

The Azerbaijani-Turkish joint venture of transplanting mercenaries into Azerbaijan has the potential to turn the region into a new hub of sectarian violence and create a security breakdown for the wider region. Here is the EU response.

In one of the worst days of fighting on the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact, the President of Artsakh heads to the front line with special forces and Armenia’s Prime Minister addresses the nation. Here is a chronology of official updates.

The city of Martakert in Artsakh came under heavy shelling twice since the start of the war. This photo story captures the aftermath.

After Azerbaijani armed forces launched a wide scale offensive in Artsakh, today, the capital Stepanakert came under the heaviest shelling since the end of the first Karabakh War. Here is a chronology of official updates.

The capital of the Republic of Artsakh was shelled twice today by Azerbaijani armed forces injuring civilians and damaging buildings and infrastructure. Photojournalist Eric Grigorian captured these images in Stepanakert.

While Iran's response to the current escalation is neutral and balanced, there are concerns about Azerbaijan's desire for a military solution, Turkey's involvement and the arrival of terrorists in the region.

A number of international media outlets have published stories about Syrian militants who have been offered up to $1500/month by Turkey to fight alongside the Azerbaijani military.

As battles rage along the length of the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Contact Line, a number of foreign and Armenian journalists were wounded when the city of Martuni came under Azerbaijani fire.

Azerbaijan continues to target civilian populations in Artsakh using combat drones and artillery strikes which have resulted in civilian casualties in Martakert. Here is a chronology of official updates.

These powerful images capture fragments of life in Artsakh, a place that is boundlessly resilient yet has too often become a home to war.

In a third day of fighting, Turkey is not hiding its direct involvement, including the use of its air force. Azerbaijan’s intense attacks against Artsakh have expanded to also include Armenia’s eastern Gegharkunik region around Lake Sevan.

Following the attack by Azerbaijani Armed Forces on September 27, the women and children of Stepanakert shelter in bunkers while most of the men are off to the frontline.

Fighting continued on Monday, September 28, 2020 along the Line of Contact between Artsakh and Azerbaijan, after the launch of an assault by Azerbaijan the previous day that has been unprecedented. We present a briefing of the situation.

In the early morning hours of September 27, Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched an offensive along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan Line of Contact. We present a briefing of the situation.

Innovative forms of activism emerged in different societies to overcome the limitations of physical distancing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several political parties in Armenia are members of officially registered European political parties in the European Parliament. This affiliation offers an opportunity to deepen international cooperation and conduct parliamentary diplomacy.

While Artsakh has experienced the highest per capita accident rate in the world, it has seen a ten-fold reduction in landmine accidents since The HALO Trust began demining operations in 2000.

A soldier who was critically injured during clashes at the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border has died, bringing the death toll to five; Pashinyan says the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination, the security of Armenia and Artsakh are not subject to concessions.

Over the last several days, the situation on the state border seems to have entered a period of relative calm. Moving beyond repair of damaged infrastructure and residential homes, more comprehensive development projects to be implemented in Tavush.

Residents of the border villages and towns in the Tavush region are trying to return to their normal routine as the situation at the state border seems to have stabilized. However, for now, it is an uneasy calm.

Using large-caliber artillery, Azerbaijani Special Forces launched an attack early this morning on Armenian border posts breaking the fragile ceasefire. After being forced to retreat, they began shelling Armenian border villages.

After three days of intensive fighting, the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border has been relatively calm; medals posthumously awarded to four fallen Armenian servicemen; Su-30SM fighter jets to be on permanent duty to ensure Armenia’s air space is inviolable; injured soldiers and families of killed soldiers to receive compensation and more.

In a third day of deadly fighting along the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border, four Armenian soldiers are killed; a number of border villages continue to sustain Azerbaijani fire; cyberattack targets Armenian government and media websites; Armenian Air Defense Units shoot down an Azerbaijani drone and more.

After an attempt by Azerbaijani soldiers to cross over the Armenian border on July 12, tensions escalated between the two sides, leaving at least four Azerbaijani soldiers dead and an already fragile region rattled.

The Caucasus Barometer survey conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the country, reveals that the overall mood of the Armenian public was optimistic.

A recent joint statement by three Members of the European Parliament on the construction of a new, third highway between Armenia and Artsakh was not well-received in Armenian circles.

The upcoming Brussels Summit on the Eastern Partnership will be another challenge for Armenia as it seeks to maintain the internationally-recognized OSCE Minsk Group framework, with its inclusion of the principle of self-determination.

Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent statement regarding a step-by-step approach to resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict reflects Russia’s centuries-old imperial instincts of using divide-and-conquer tactics on its periphery.

The liberation of the strategic town of Shushi was a turning point in the Karabakh war, causing a dramatic shift in the military progress of Armenian forces and ultimately obstructing future Turkish-Armenian relations.

Presidential and parliamentary elections were held in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) on March 31. While voter turnout was high (72.7%), no presidential candidate received the required majority of votes, necessitating a runoff election to take place in two weeks.

Voters will be given masks, hand sanitizer and their own pen as the vote looks set to go ahead on March 31 as originally planned.

Justin Tomczyk traces the history of the Armenian-Turkish border spanning from Armenia’s incorporation into the USSR to the present day, touching upon the Zurich Protocols and reflecting on the viability of a future normalization process.

Artsakh voters will be heading to the polls on March 31. Incumbent President Bako Sahakyan is not seeking another term. Meet the political candidates vying for support and the political backdrop under which they are campaigning.

The grieving family and friends of a soldier killed in Artsakh protested the suicide ruling by trying to bring his casket to Yerevan from the Armavir region. Investigators later arrested three fellow soldiers on suspicion of inciting suicide.

In the face of war and turmoil, music has remained one of Artsakh’s most cherished aspects of their culture. Tradition and new influences are what keep the music alive.

Gayane Ghazaryan pieces together the stories, struggles and dreams of the people of Artsakh through a series of vignettes.

For many, it might seem that Artsakh, an unrecognized state, is an unlikely place to hold an international football tournament. But that is exactly what will happen starting June 1, when Artsakh hosts the 2019 European Football Cup of the Confederation of Independent Football Associations.

While taking the reader through the complexities of international law, Dr. Nerses Kopalyan writes that when Armenia and Azerbaijan speak about peace, they mean completely different things. What they are actually saying is that they seek peace on their own terms.

Shamakhi is an Armenian dialect that is on the verge of extinction. While many Armenians from Shamakhi feel a sense of pride in their history and dialect, for the new generation who, along with the rest of the Shamakhetsis were forced to flee their village during the Karabakh War, the dialect is simply a matter of history.

When the war broke out in Artsakh in the early 1990s, Aida Serobyan was a 36-year-old doctor and mother of three. She decided to volunteer for two months as a field doctor, but ended up staying for two years until the end of the war in 1994. Although she helped to heal the injured, she herself was wounded four times on the battlefield. This is her story.

Three decades after the catastrophic Spitak Earthquake, Hovhannes Nazaretyan takes a look back at how that tragedy was covered by one of America’s most prestigious newspapers.

A historic post-revolution vote will take place across Armenia on December 7. As Armenians head to the polls to elect a new parliament, EVN Report brings you live updates of the vote.

The election campaign for the upcoming snap parliamentary elections is in full swing. In this second installment, read about the main provisions and principles (translated from the original Armenian) from the campaign programs of the following political forces: Bright Armenia, National Progress, Sasna Tsrer, Country of Law, Prosperous Armenia, Citizen's Decision.

The election campaign for the upcoming snap parliamentary elections is in full swing. There are nine political parties and two coalition forces running for a seat in the country’s National Assembly. In a series of installments, EVN Report will present the main provisions and principles (translated from the original Armenian) from the campaign programs of those political forces.

A prominent Armenian Bolshevik activist and head of the Baku Commune Stepan Shahumyan’s ghost now wanders through his native Caucasus. Armenians have largely forgotten his century-old verbal attacks on nationalism and insistence on internationalist fraternity of peoples, yet his statues remain and streets, villages and towns are named after him in Armenia and Artsakh.

Despite its obvious ruin, Stepanakert’s grand dramatic theater captures the beauty of a past era and now there are efforts to restore the structure’s life and soul in the same spirit of how it was built.

A personal essay by Gayane Ghazaryan about a trip to Artsakh to see her brother for the first time after he left for his mandatory service in the army. A day her family had always known would come but was never fully ready for. Գայանե Ղազարյանը գրում է իր նորակոչիկ եղբորը առաջին անգամ Արցախում տեսակցության գնալու իր փորձառության մասին։ Մի օր, որին նրանք սպասել են, բայց այդպես էլ պատրաստ չեն եղել։

In this moving photo essay, journalist Yelena Gevorgyan and photographer Mariam Loretsyan explore Stepanakert through their eyes and impressions, piecing together the stories that bind the Armenians of Artsakh to the land.

What is it like to find yourself on a heavily militarized contact line? How does it feel to see an adversary, a mere 400 meters away, who was the reason you became a refugee? Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte, a refugee from Baku, writes about her emotional journey to the line and back.

In this second of a two-part series, Mikayel Zolyan looks at the external threats to the Armenian revolution. He writes that while security concerns continue to be real, the Armenian government and society need to make sure that the government system is well-functioning and ready to face external challenges.

Political analyst Armen Grigoryan writes that negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the Artsakh conflict have hit a wall and resulted in escalations on the frontline bolstering Azerbaijan's inclination towards a military solution to the conflict.

In the first of a two-part series, Mikayel Zolyan looks as the internal threats facing Armenia’s new government following the Velvet Revolution - the continued resistance of the remains of the ancien régime and potential radicals within the revolutionary camp.

In this new piece, Mikayel Zolyan writes about the similarities and differences between the 1988 Karabakh Movement and the 2018 Velvet Revolution - what it meant for people then and now and lessons to be learned.

One of the distinctive characteristics of the Karabakh Movement was that in less than three years, it drastically changed how the Soviet value system was perceived. The visual and verbal manifestation of this was evident through the transformation of the language and texts of the posters and signs used during the Movement.

Tatevik Hayrapetyan writes that the Karabakh Movement was a catalyst for domestic developments in Azerbaijan. Unlike in Armenia, however, alternative forces like the Azerbaijani Popular Front in Azerbaijan, couldn’t find a way to collaborate with the local Communist Party. The issue of Karabakh and anti-Armenian propaganda was thereby used in their struggle against the Communist regime.

Vardges Baghryan, a journalist from Artsakh recounts his personal memories from the Karabakh Movement and the war. He recalls the siege on the village of Karintak and how the future freedom and independence of the people of Artsakh was forged.

Deciding never to use the word Genocide and then coming face-to-face with it again in a new context; between reading biographies of the victims of the Sumgait Pogrom over and over again and the urge to see who now occupies the homes of the Armenians of Baku and Sumgait, writer Lusine Hovhannesyan unexpectedly discovers a common yet obvious thread.

Harutyun Marutyan writes that the Karabakh Movement was not only the first of the Eastern European revolutions, but it played a considerable role in the democratization of Soviet society, was pivotal in the deconstruction of the Soviet Union and consequently in the elimination of the threat of communism.

Journalist Lusine Hovhannesyan recounts her personal memories as a university student during the first days of the Karabakh Movement. She writes, “We became beautiful and fell in love easily like young men and women living out their last days at the barricades and we sang songs of resilience in the streets of Yerevan.”

In this exceptionally honest and candid article, Gevorg Ter-Gabrielyan writes about his impressions from the first few months of the Karabakh Movement 30 years ago, with words he did not have nor could find at the time.

The Karabakh Movement was a crystallizing moment in the collective and historical memory of the Armenian nation. In this first in a series of articles about the Movement, EVN Report presents a chronology of the events of 1988 which eventually paved the way to independence.

Director Jivan Avetisyan of Tevanik and The Last Inhabitant talks about surviving the Spitak earthquake, the Karabakh War and the memories and experiences that have become the guiding force of his life and his films.

The Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) is slowly trying to climb its way out of isolation and one of the ways it hopes to achieve this is to produce and export ‘black gold' to the world. EVN Report visited the sprawling caviar production facility nestled in a quiet valley in this unrecognized state often referred to simply as a ‘conflict zone.’

Why did Armenia not take more proactive measures when it knew that Moscow was actively developing its military-political dialogue with Baku? In this analysis, Areg Galstyan looks at the complex relationships in the South Caucasus and policies that Russia implements with both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Azat Adamyan, a young entrepreneur from Karabakh (Artsakh) created a hiking club, volunteered during the April War, opened the first-ever pub in Stepanakert and now has his sights set on bigger plans. While he realizes the limits of his reality, his dreams are boundless.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister of Artsakh, Armine Aleksanyan on her long journey from Martouni to Stepanakert, to London and Vienna and back to Artsakh to work in the service of a country that is not recognized by the world.

The Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan released a video on June 21 of a man they allege is a captured Armenian soldier. They claimed that the man was apprehended after an attempt by the Armenian military to infiltrate into Azerbaijani territory.

Photographer Scout Tufankjian has captured the essence of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) through her photos. One year after the April War, EVN Report is proud to present these images as a reminder that all children deserve to live in peace.

In this post-Election essay, Paul Chaderjian reflects on how a group of his peers, men and women from all walks of life, made a collective effort on April 2 to serve as citizen observers in the homeland.

Vahram Ter-Matevosyan writes that it is difficult to measure just how much the average Armenian was satisfied with the explanations the government provided about the scope of casualties and destruction during the April escalation. While the government was quick to praise the heroes of the war, it failed to punish those whose task it was to ensure the army was free of corruption allegations.

There has been a pattern of Azerbaijani war crimes committed since the end of the Karabakh War in 1994. The Four Day War last April was no exception. EVN Report presents a detailed account of Azerbaijani war crimes in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh).

Writer and photojournalist Simone Zoppellaro writes that the moral and political responsibility of a conflict doesn’t rest solely on the actors, or those who arm them. It rests also on the nations that would have the power to intervene and stop the hostilities but prefer to keep themselves detached or indifferent.

Photojournalist Eric Grigorian and poet Arto Vaun collaborate in this piece that combines haunting portraits from the Four Day War last April with an evocative new poem.

This special section is a historical overview of the disputed region of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic, NKR), one of the last unresolved conflicts in the former Soviet space.

After more than 25 years of independence, what can the role of the Armenian Republic be in shaping a discourse that would speak of Armenia in terms of a “homeland” and a genuine state?

Arto Vaun writes about the passing of Artur Sargsyan, the man who broke through heavy police barricades to deliver food to the Sasna Dzrer and in doing so, became something of a legend.

Armenia is situated in a volatile region with 80 percent of its borders sealed. This article by Vahram Ter-Matevosyan examines the foreign policy programs of the nine political parties and blocs running in the parliamentary elections.