Tag: Nagorno Karabakh

Freedom House's Nations in Transit 2024 report downgraded Armenia's democracy score. It also highlighted the spread of autocracy in the region, emphasizing that Western democracies have been inconsistent and hesitant in defending international norms, enabling autocracies to evade accountability.

Armenian journalists reporting on breaking news in Armenia and Artsakh for global media outlets frequently face scrutiny regarding their objectivity because of their ethnicity, suggesting an underlying bias that undermines their professionalism and reflects a covertly racist perspective.

After being forcibly displaced by Azerbaijan, a group of men from Artsakh transformed the interior of a dilapidated hospital in the Ararat region of Armenia and built eight separate apartments for their families. A photo story by Ani Gevorgyan.

"Noli Me Tangere" delves into the significance of the Latin phrase, exploring its symbolism in religious and literary contexts. Sheila Paylan unveils personal encounters with the phrase, reflecting on its relevance in navigating life's challenges and asserting individual sovereignty.

From adolescent angst to the exploration of cultural resilience, Sheila Paylan discovers the parallels between the preservation of traditions, like Cambodia's Sak Yant tattoo art, and the current challenges faced by the Armenian people in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Landlocked Armenia, surrounded on two sides by unrelenting foes, has limited access to the outside world. Railways could potentially help alleviate this isolation by providing reliable outside connections for trade and passenger traffic.

With Zelenskyy’s potential visit to Armenia in the coming days, Justin Tomczyk writes that Ukraine’s experience over the past two years can provide insights into how smaller democracies must fight against their larger, authoritarian neighbors.

“The story of the house began with a smile and ended with tears,” writes Yan Shenkman, a Russian journalist, who moved to Armenia after the war in Ukraine started. He compiled monologues from the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh for an upcoming exhibition about the homes they lost.

As the geopolitical landscape in the South Caucasus remains precarious, potential changes in EU and U.S. leadership can pose additional challenges for Armenia. Amid these uncertainties, Armenia's diplomatic efforts become increasingly important and serve as a test of its resilience.

The Non-Aligned Movement is a diplomatic platform where Azerbaijan, as a major oil-producing nation, tries to exert influence by supporting ex-colonies that are purportedly fighting colonialism. Garren Jansezian explains.

In September, two families-in-law from Artsakh found refuge in the village of Yeghvard, Armenia, joining over 100,000 displaced Armenians facing similar challenges. Marut Vanyan, a journalist from Artsakh, provides insight into their experiences.

This article presents a comprehensive perspective on the concept of “Western Azerbaijan,” portraying it as a continually evolving agenda that Azerbaijan might be integrating into a broader framework of bolstering Turkish influence in the Caucasus.

In a recent interview, Armenia’s Prime Minister made a number of revelatory remarks challenging Armenia’s long-standing narrative on the Nagorno-Karabakh issue. Davit Khachatryan takes a closer look.

Even a cursory examination of the events in Nagorno-Karabakh provides a solid basis to assert the existence of a potential case for a crime against humanity of forced deportation under the Rome Statute stemming from Azerbaijan’s attack in September 2023.

With the ethnic cleansing of the Armenians of Artsakh and the collapse of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, many felt that international law has no influence when it comes to safeguarding Armenian interests. Is the law as culpable as it seems? What can be expected?

Irina Merdinyan traveled into the heart of a tragedy to help the forcibly displaced Armenians of Artsakh. In the midst of that experience, she was confronted with pain, confusion, anger and fleeting moments of joy.

Specialists from the Ministry of Internal Affairs are working to alleviate the anxiety of the forcibly displaced children from Artsakh by offering psychological first aid. Their journey is captured in this photo story by Ani Gevorgyan.

Volunteering has become widespread in Armenia in recent years. However, it has only recently received legal regulation. The critical role of volunteers became especially evident after the Azerbaijani attack on Artsakh on September 19, 2023.

As the forcibly displaced Armenians of Artsakh struggle to comprehend the magnitude of their loss, memories of the homes and lives they were forced to leave behind suffocate them. Theirs is a story of being ripped from their roots, of pain and dispossession.

California Superior Court Judge Gassia Apkarian, an advisor to the Center for Truth and Justice (CFTJ), says that the forced deportation of the Armenians of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) by Azerbaijan constitutes genocide. The CFTJ, created in the aftermath of the 2020 Artsakh War, oversees the collection of firsthand testimonial evidence from survivors of war through in-depth, recorded interviews to be a living memorial to crimes against humanity, for study, education and legal action.

Communications Manager and Spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Zara Amatuni, speaks to EVN Report about the work of the ICRC following the mass exodus of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) after Azerbaijan's large-scale attack, the challenges facing the forcibly displaced who are now in Armenia and the fate of the missing.

In blatant violation of the November 9, 2020 ceasefire statement, and in a concerted effort to collapse the peace process, Azerbaijan initiated a mass-scale offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh. Initiating attacks throughout the line of contact, Azerbaijani forces shelled civilian centers in Stepanakert, Martakert, and various regions of Nagorno-Karabakh.

EVN Report's Editor-in-Chief Maria Titizian speaks with Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, author of the monthly series "EVN Security Report" who explains the madman theory, a strategy in coercive bargaining, where the perceived extremism of an actor is leveraged to achieve one-sided outcomes. In this context, Kopalyan explains how Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s bargaining posture operates off of the logic that if his terms are not met, he reserves the right to wage war, thus anchoring the threat of destruction to force acquiescence from Armenia and the international community.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 8, 2023: Heavy Azerbaijani military buildup around Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia as fears of a new war mount; three students arbitrarily detained by Azerbaijani forces at the Hakari bridge are released; amid escalating tensions, US-Armenia joint military exercise to take place in Armenia next week and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 1, 2023: Three Armenian soldiers killed and another two wounded as Azerbaijan intensifies attacks on Armenia-proper; Artsakh’s President Arayik Harutyunyan resigns as the catastrophic siege of Artsakh continues; Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris leads a convoy of French humanitarian aid to the Lachin Corridor, which is stopped by Azerbaijan.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of August 18, 2023: The UN Security Council convenes emergency meeting to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh where the first case of death by starvation was recorded; Azerbaijan cuts Internet supply to the population of Artsakh for several hours; eleven people are killed in a tragic car crash on the Yerevan-Gyumri highway and more.

Nothing in Artsakh is what it used to be. The Stepanakert market, once known as a feast of tastes and colors has now become a concentrated mosaic of all our misery, writes Tamara Grigoryan, a resident of the capital city.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of August 11, 2023: Luis Moreno Ocampo, the founding prosecutor of the International Criminal Court releases report, says blockade of the Lachin Corridor should be considered a genocide; international media coverage of the siege of Artsakh begins ramping up; Artsakh faces potential critical water shortages as mortality rates spike because of a lack of medicine and medical services and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of August 4, 2023: Despite calls from around the world to lift the blockade of Artsakh, Baku continues to strangulate 120,000 people; the abduction and arrest of a 68-year-old resident of Artsakh during a humanitarian transfer raises fears of deepening the already acute crisis in the region; diplomats accredited to Armenia and UN agencies visit Kornidzor where trucks of humanitarian aid continue to be blocked by Baku.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of July 21, 2023: The situation in Artsakh has become extremely critical, grocery stores are empty, medicine, medical supplies and fuel are on the verge of running out. Armenia’s Foreign Affairs Minister says that Baku’s intention is to create unbearable conditions for living and aims to ethnically cleanse Nagorno-Karabakh; warns that people are on the verge of hunger and starvation.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of July 14, 2023: Baku bans the ICRC from providing humanitarian aid through the Lachin Corridor, accuses the organization of smuggling illegal goods; a large rally takes place in Stepanakert, Artsakh demanding the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor and an adequate international response; the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are set to meet in Brussels tomorrow.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of June 30, 2023: Four servicemen are killed in an Azerbaijani attack in Artsakh; the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan conclude the latest round of talks in Washington; after a total blockade, the ICRC is able to resume the transfer of patients from Artsakh to Armenia for now.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of June 16, 2023: Azerbaijani forces cross Hakari Bridge in an attempt to hoist their flag; Baku bans all humanitarian passenger and cargo transport through the Lachin Corridor; two Indian nationals injured following Azerbaijani attack on a metallurgical plant in Armenia’s Ararat region.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of June 9, 2023: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has a brief meeting with llham Aliyev in Ankara at Erdogan’s inauguration ceremony; The U.S and the EU call on Azerbaijan to restore the supply of energy to Artsakh; Azerbaijan postpones the meeting of foreign ministers in Washington.

Iran will never accept any Azerbaijani military or political control of southern Armenia. While Tehran is pursuing a policy of strategic patience vis-à-vis Azerbaijan, it does have red lines that, if crossed, would likely produce a swift reaction.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of May 5: The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan hold four-day talks in Washington; Turkey closes its airspace to Armenia’s national carrier in response to the unveiling of a statue for OperationNemesis; while in Prague, PM Nikol Pashinyan says mechanisms for safeguarding the rights and security of Armenians of Artsakh are still uncertain and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of April 28: Azerbaijan installs checkpoint at the entrance of the Lachin Corridor in flagrant violation of the tripartite statement that ended the 2020 war; Azerbaijani eco-activists, who had been blocking the Corridor for 138 days, have temporarily suspend their protest; France’s Foreign Affairs Minister is in Armenia, says Baku must comply with the ICJ decision on the Lachin Corridor and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 24: An Armenian soldier is killed by Azerbaijani fire near the village of Yeraskh in Armenia; while in Talish, now under Azerbaijani control, Ilham Aliyev makes threatening statements against Armenia; Armenia’s Constitutional Court announces decision declaring obligations enshrined in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to be constitutional and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 10: Three police officers in Artsakh are killed following an Azerbaijani ambush; in the Freedom in the World 2023 report, Azerbaijan is designated as one of the “worst of the worst” in the world for political rights and civil liberties; U.S. Intelligence Community warns of Azerbaijan’s readiness to use “calibrated military pressure” to advance its goals in talks with Armenia and more.

Azerbaijan’s threat of military aggression and ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh’s indigenous Armenian population remains extremely critical. If not prevented, it will constitute another major blow to the international order.

Արցախաբնակ Թամարա Գրիգորյանի՝ չավարտվող շրջափակմանն ու այս օրերի դժվար պատասխաններ ունեցող հարցերին վերաբերող անդրադարձի ՁայնաԳիրը։

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 24: The International Court of Justice orders Azerbaijan to ensure free movement of persons, cargo and other goods along the Lachin Corridor; Ruben Vardanyan, the State Minister of Artsakh is dismissed from his position by President Arayik Harutyunyan; the Government of Armenia gives the go ahead to Lydian to start operating the Amulsar gold mine and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 17: Armenia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ararat Mirzoyan is in Turkey this week; 120,000 people in Artsakh continue to remain under siege as Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor continues; Armenia and Azerbaijan continue to discuss the next phase of the peace process and more.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 10: The population of Artsakh has been left without gas supply again Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Lachin Corridor enters its 61st day; Armenia sends humanitarian aid and rescue teams to Syria and Turkey in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes; Seyran Ohanyan, Armenia’s former defense minister and member of the opposition Armenia Alliance was stripped of his parliamentary immunity this week.

Artsakh’s entire economy is heavily dependent on Armenia, and the blockade of the Lachin Corridor has made it more vulnerable, giving Azerbaijan the ability to weaponize Artsakh’s energy supply and control over its critical infrastructure.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 3: The International Court of Justice hears cases presented by Armenia and Azerbaijan against each other on the application of CERD; Azerbaijan’s ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor is now in its 54th day; Russia’s Foreign Affairs Minister says that as a result of the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan was able to reclaim the territories which belonged to it and more.

Azerbaijan’s behavior meets all of the criteria that triggers the implementation of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle. The international community must resolutely raise this issue in order to deter the Aliyev regime from continuing its predatory policies.

Why has the UN Security Council failed to react in a meaningful way to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? Hovhannes Nazaretyan looks at some of the possible reasons.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of December 23: For 12 days now, Azerbaijan has been blockading Artsakh; the European Court of Human Rights applied interim measures against Baku for the ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor; PM Nikol Pashinyan criticizes the inaction of Russian peacekeepers and says Azerbaijan’s blockade grossly violates provisions of the November 9 trilateral statement.

Statements made by Ilham Aliyev over the past two years prove that Baku will never guarantee the rights and security of the people of Artsakh, since state sponsored hate propaganda has made Azerbaijan the number one threat to the survival of the Armenians of Artsakh.

A group of Azerbaijani “environmental activists” blocked the Lachin Corridor on December 12, effectively isolating the population of Artsakh. Later, Azerbaijani authorities shut off the natural gas supply to the Republic triggering a pending humanitarian catastrophe. The blockade of Artsakh continues. Live updates on the unfolding situation.

In Nagorno-Karabakh, the consequences of upholding Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity entails the imminent threat to the indigenous Armenian population that is no different than Kosovo, Timor-Leste or South Sudan: the inevitability of ethnic cleaning and genocide.

Although the only things Hratsin Ohanyan has left of her native Hadrut is a photo album and her dialect, she stubbornly refuses to let her status as an internally displaced person pull her down. She is resilient, hopeful and fearless.

Who is the most influential and determined mediator to prevent the possibility of another aggression against Artsakh or Armenia? The answer will define who can be the main guarantor of peace for the South Caucasus.

Azerbaijan has made an enormous strategic mistake, Russia has allowed for a sizable power vacuum in the region, and the United States has determined to capitalize on these developments, undertaking a policy pivot in the South Caucasus.

Following Azerbaijan’s latest attack, this time against Armenia proper, international actors are calling on both sides to de-escalate the situation. Bothsidism in this context is ridiculous, tiresome, and shameful. Not naming the aggressor or who is benefiting from violence is not a neutral act. It is not telling the truth.

Baku’s aggressive rhetoric must not be normalized. In spite of their geopolitical, oil and gas interests, major international players should define their red lines, refrain from a policy of parity and prevent further military aggression by Azerbaijan.

After its military victory in the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan elevated its war of narratives against Armenians to a new and increasingly aggressive level, often accompanied with disinformation.

The 2020 Artsakh War and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war are the first classic interstate wars in almost two decades involving the regular armies on both sides of the conflict, highlighting trends in warfare, including the effect of the latest technological solutions.

Just days after Azerbaijan’s most recent military attack, local authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh instructed residents of the Armenian village of Aghavno to leave their homes by August 25, when it is scheduled to be handed over to Azerbaijani control.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of July 29: Azerbaijani Armed Forces fire on villages in Artsakh, damaging a home in Karmir Shuka; jailed government critic Avetik Chalabyan is released from pre-trial detention; Turkey sets preconditions for normalization of relations with Armenia and more.

Ներկա իրավիճակում Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի հակամարտության հնարավոր լուծում առաջարկող հոդվածի ՁայնաԳիրը։

The 2020 Artsakh War exposed a number of myths and misconceptions in Armenia and among Armenians toward the West. Taline Papazian reviews some of those misconceptions and outlines current Western engagement in Armenia and the region.

Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի հակամարտության հետ համեմատելի՝ Նախիջևանի, Հարավային Օսեթիայի, Հյուսիսային Կիպրոսի, Բոսնիա և Հերցեգովինայի, Արևելյան Թիմորի և Կոսովոյի հակամարտությունների զարգացումը ներկայացնող Սոսի Թաթիկյանի հոդվածի ՁայնաԳիրը։

«Քաղաքականություն» բաժնում հրապարակված՝ Սոսի Թաթիկյանի «Մաս 1. Ի՞նչ կարող է պատահել Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի հայերին. նրանց անվտանգության և մարդու իրավունքների երաշխիքների բացակայությունից բխող անորոշություններ» հոդվածի ձայնագիրը: Ընթերցում է Սոնա Ներսեսյանը: Երեք մասից բաղկացած հոդվածաշարի առաջին մասում Սոսի Թաթիկյանը վերլուծում է Լեռնային Ղարաբաղի անորոշությունները և հնարավոր սցենարները, եթե Հայաստանի ղեկավարությունը ճանաչի Ադրբեջանի տարածքային ամբողջականությունը։

A collection of articles about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the lens of Moscow by Dr. Artyom Tonoyan entitled, “Black Garden Aflame” will become a classic and a major go-to resource for scholars, writes Dr. Pietro Shakarian.

In this next installment of a series on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sossi Tatikyan presents a way forward given the current situation to ensure security guarantees for the Artsakh Armenians and mark progress in the conflict’s resolution.

Instead of making Yerevan step back every time there is a deadlock in the negotiation process, the mediators should instead develop the tools to pressure Baku. If they do not, another war in the South Caucasus is likely.

The global response to secessionist inter-ethnic conflicts is shaped by a number of factors, from the extent of the threat of ethnic cleansing, to possession and instrumentalization of energy sources and more. Sossi Tatikyan explains.

The resilience to persevere through unspeakable trauma was embodied by the tenacity to celebrate the May 8 and 9 holidays in Artsakh with a full schedule of events.

Are we headed toward a better, or a more worrying future? Is the pendulum swinging toward more uncertainty or toward a lull? Two fundamental questions stand out: the survival of Artsakh and the independence of Armenia.

There’s an air of restlessness in Artsakh. It derives from the uncertainty about where the Republic of Armenia stands. The feeling is that Artsakh and Armenia are on diverging paths, and a rift has appeared between their governments.

In order to understand what may happen to Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh if appropriate international guarantees for security and human rights are not put in place for them, Sossi Tatikyan presents the evolution of several comparable conflicts.

In Part 1 of a three-part series, Sossi Tatikyan analyzes the uncertainties and possible scenarios for Nagorno-Karabakh if Armenia’s leadership goes ahead with the recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

In the wake of lingering concern over the events unfolding in Ukraine following Russia’s February 24 invasion and its defeat in Artsakh in 2020, how can Armenia pull itself out of this chain of elevated conflicts?

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Brussels on April 6, 2022, on the initiative of the European Council president. Why is the EU taking an interest now when it was a mere observer during the 2020 Artsakh War?

Latest developments in Nagorno-Karabakh demonstrate Azerbaijan’s intent to ethnically cleanse the indigenous Armenian population and highlight the necessity of introducing international norms in the peacekeeping architecture there.

2021 was a difficult year for the Armenian nation as it continued to confront external threats, Azerbaijani incursions into its sovereign territory and an unclear future for both Armenia and Artsakh. Here we present a brief overview of the main events from the past year.

Western attempts to infiltrate into the sphere of Russian influence have meant to weaken Russia and maintain constant tension. Could this result in larger clashes with more unpredictable consequences, this time between large geopolitical players?

In light of Azerbaijan’s aggressive military operations, the international community’s response and the formation of a format for the delimitation and demarcation process, Sossi Tatikyan offers comprehensive suggestions on potential formats and phases.

A year after the end of the war in Artsakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan are far from a sustainable peace. Regardless of how many olive branches are gifted to the leaders of the two sides, we are once again back to a “no war, no peace” situation, writes Tatev Hayrapetyan.

This concept paper undertakes a reconfiguration of Armenia’s doctrinal policy on Nagorno-Karabakh, thus formulating the empirical and legal basis to develop a grand strategy on the concept of remedial sovereignty.

Between Paris and Yerevan, the declarations of friendship abound. But rare are those who evoke the failures of this friendship. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Franco-Armenian affinity?

Since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, Russia has enjoyed an effective monopoly over the negotiation process. Recent initiatives by the EU suggest that Europe may be taking a more proactive role in the South Caucasus.

On November 16, 2021, Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched a large-scale offensive along the eastern border of Armenia, resulting in intense battles. There are confirmed casualties and wounded. Live Updates.

This is not a story about war. This is the story of what happens after the bullets, missiles, bombs and drones no longer fly through the autumn air. Maria Titizian recounts her journey to Artsakh last year, two days after the signing of the trilateral statement ending the war.

A year has passed since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War. The ceasefire statement signed by the leaders of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on November 9, 2020, brought a new geopolitical reality to the region.

On September 16, 2021, Armenia instituted proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Azerbaijan on the basis of violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia’s agent at the ICJ and international law expert Levon Gevorgyan who was an advisor and part of Armenia’s legal team at The Hague speak to EVN Report about the landmark case.

Back in early October, a resident of Martakert was shot dead by Azerbaijani fire while he was driving a tractor. A Russian peacekeeper was sitting right beside him at the time. What is behind Azerbaijan’s provocations?

A unique combination of causal factors at different levels made the 44-day war possible. Tigran Grigoryan presents a systematic and comprehensive explanation of the structural conditions and circumstances behind Azerbaijan’s large-scale offensive.

Controversy erupted after the Hayastan All Armenian Fund transferred 60% of funds donated during and after the war to the state budget. The absence of a complete audit almost a year since it was first proposed leaves donors still asking “where is the money?”

The UK embassy in Azerbaijan and British companies were very active during and after the 2020 Artsakh War. While the spilled blood was still fresh, British businesses were already focused on the profits to be made.

Gaidz Minassian delves into the turbulent spaces of history, memory and identity and deconstructs why the mother of all battles—the construction of a State on its sovereign pillars—was undermined.

Azerbaijan and Turkey are not interested in peace. With the new realities on the ground following Azerbaijan’s military success, the Armenian Government should be careful when promising an “era of peace” to its people.

What has Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War revealed? Tigran Yegavian reviews a recently published White Paper that looks at a number of misconceptions, failures and dysfunctions within Armenian statehood and attempts to diagnose those ills and offer possible solutions.

Since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Azerbaijan have been escalating. Although an outright military confrontation seems unlikely, it would have devastating consequences for the region.

Since the 2020 Artsakh War, France has been at the forefront of diplomatic activity in resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. What goal is Paris hoping to achieve with this issue that is so far removed from the concerns of the French?

Armenia instituted proceedings against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice on the basis of violations of the Convention on Elimination of Racial Discrimination. A week later, Azerbaijan submitted its own claim against Armenia. Gabriel Armas-Cardona breaks it down.

Dictators are emboldened by the silence of those who claim to be proponents of human rights and justice. Turkey’s Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s Aliyev must be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity, writes Irina Ghaplanyan.

While the majority of women didn’t pick up guns to fight in the war, many used their skills to fight in their own way. On this first anniversary of the 2020 Artsakh War, Kushane Chobanyan presents the stories of six extraordinary women who were on the front lines.

Does the Armenian diaspora have a role in the process of state building? Tigran Yegavian presents a brief history of Armenia-Diaspora relations starting with Armenia’s independence and offers some insights to rectify the absence of an effective relationship.

Armenia will be looking to take advantage of its chairmanship of the CSTO to create a new Crisis Response Center. If its supposed allies continue their indifference even at the organizational stage, they should all be asking themselves why they are together in the first place.

Canada has a finely-crafted international image as a champion of human rights. While different factors contributed to the outcome of the 2020 Artsakh War, one of them, the Turkish Bayraktar drone used against Artsakh, was heavily reliant on target acquisition optics made by a Canadian company.

After launching an attack against Artsakh in 2020, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has taken every opportunity to take personal credit for Azerbaijan’s military successes, along with his family.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces used internationally banned cluster bombs and weapons containing white phosphorus during the 2020 Artsakh War. The use of incendiary weapons caused severe burns to dozens of soldiers and irreversible loss to the environment.

China considers Turkey a key strategic partner under the Belt and Road Initiative. It has also intensified economic relations with Azerbaijan and is keen to diversify its commercial routes to Europe. Was China a silent observer or did it have any role to play during the 2020 Artsakh War.

Developments after the 2020 Artsakh War reveal that Azerbaijan has no intention to work toward regional peace and stability. Together with Turkey, Baku aims to change the regional structure at the expense of Armenia’s security interests and needs.

Suren says if he had a magic wand, he would change people to make things better. Children of the 2020 Artsakh War continue to struggle with trauma. A center in Kapan is trying to change that.

After its victory in the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan started massive restoration projects in the seven conquered regions of the Republic of Artsakh. These projects will undoubtedly impact Armenia.

After the shocking defeat in the war, the use of the notion of “remedial secession” has not been consistent, neither by the authorities nor by other political forces in Armenia. Sossi Tatikian explains.

Director Nora Martirosyan’s film “Should the Wind Drop” reveals the frustrating situation surrounding the airport as a starting point to delve into the history, problems and spirit of Artsakh.

For decades, the Azerbaijani government has engaged in the destruction of Armenian monuments in its quest to erase all evidence of our culture. But the campaign of cultural erasure stretches beyond the physical, to the digital realm as well.

A day after the trilateral agreement ending the 2020 Artsakh War was signed, the first contingents of Russian peacekeepers were deployed. Six months in, clarifications regarding the size, mandate and mission of the peacekeepers are still not clear.

The 2020 Artsakh War highlighted the interests, strategies and positions of Iran and Russia, both regional powers, regarding the resolution of the Karabakh Conflict.

Armenian cultural, religious and historical monuments and sites currently under Azerbaijani control in the aftermath of the 2020 Artsakh War are under immediate threat of vandalism and destruction.

Following the First Karabakh War, landmines and explosive remnants of war became a major hazard for civilians. Today, four regions of Armenia are still contaminated with unexploded ordnance, impacting over 35,000 residents.

Azerbaijan increased its military spending by 17% in 2020; this was among the largest annual increases in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Ani Avetisyan breaks down the numbers of the military expenditures of both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Lucrative economic ties with Azerbaijan have influenced the United Kingdom, Italy and Hungary, among others, in their stance during and after the 2020 Artsakh War.

Azerbaijan and Turkey are highly incentivized to make the Meghri corridor a reality as soon as possible. For Azerbaijan it’s to have a direct link with its exclave of Nakhijevan. For Turkey, it opens up a direct connection with Azerbaijan and the Turkic world beyond.

With Russia and now Turkey having new footholds in the South Caucasus following the 2020 Artsakh War, will Washington under the Biden administration attempt to counter these new developments?

The November 10 ceasefire agreement ended the 2020 Artsakh War, but the issue of demarcating the new state borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been a major concern since then.

The 2020 Artsakh War put to the test long-held assumptions about the roles of neighbors and global players in the region. Some maintained and reinforced their significance and role in the region, others raised their importance and some were invisible.

Along with a number of local fact-finding initiatives to collect evidence in relation to the loss of property following the 2020 Artsakh War, Armenia’s government has also filed an inter-state complaint with the ECHR, which includes issues related to property rights.

For nearly three decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been buying large quantities of weapons from a number of countries. Hovhannes Nazaretyan presents a comprehensive list of weapons acquired by both countries since independence.

The military phase of the 2020 Artsakh War seems to have ended but the legal fight for restoring and upholding human rights is just beginning. Armenia’s Inter-State Application against Azerbaijan to the ECHR marks the beginning of that strategic process.

The Homeland Defender’s Rehabilitation Center in Yerevan, known as Zinvori Tun (Soldier’s Home) has become a place of hope, healing and rehabilitation on the road to recovery for soldiers seriously wounded during the 2020 Artsakh War.

Armenia’s air defense systems were largely ineffective against the onslaught of combat and reconnaissance UAVs used by the Azerbaijani military. The single most important UAV used in the 2020 Artsakh War was the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2.

The EU’s weak stance and incapacity to act during a time of great need for the Armenian people still reverberates. Today, Armenians are asking themselves if they can afford to trust the EU again.

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?

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.