This week on #InsightswithEricHacopian, Baku’s regime-linked “civil society” figures arrive in Yerevan, the Nubarashen landfill fire exposes deep governance gaps, and the PM’s visit to Hovanavank raises new questions about priorities and distractions in Armenian politics.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 The opening of Armenia’s border with Turkey is only a matter of time, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.📍 Torgom Asatryan, an Armenian mixed martial arts fighter, was sentenced by a Yerevan court to five years and six months in prison over his role in the mob beating of Ararat Mirzoyan, who was parliamentary speaker at the time and now serves as Armenia’s foreign minister.📍 OPINION: Armenia’s decision to shorten the length of mandatory military service, approved by the country’s government today, could signal a move toward a more modern, professional army, but only if backed by deeper structural reforms.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

CivilNet joins a group of students taking part in the Trees Under the Microscope project in Jrvezh Forest Park, where founder of EcoSchool, Nelli Yeghoyan, is leading a different environmental education initiative. We speak with her and the participating students and teachers from the Abovyan N. Vanyan Primary School No. 5 to see how this program combines hiking and hands-on laboratory work. The project, which has expanded to include hundreds of children since its 2023 pilot, aims to spark a lifelong scientific curiosity and foster a generation of informed environmental stewards for Armenia. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 Armenia will step up its efforts toward membership in the European Union in 2026, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said.📍 Armenia is preparing to launch a reverse mortgage system to boost economic activity among seniors.📍 A CivilNet investigation has revealed potential embezzlement and mismanagement at Armenia’s state-owned High-Voltage Electric Networks, a company responsible for transporting electricity from power plants to regional substations. https://www.civilnet.am/en/news/982722/millions-missing-from-armenias-state-power-grid-company-no-one-charged/ #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Transport links passing through Armenian and Azerbaijani territory must open simultaneously for regional connectivity plans to function, Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan said.📍 Neither Azerbaijani nor Georgian lawmakers are attending the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly forum in Yerevan. Both countries said the venue is not the problem.📍 Armenia plans to encourage wider use of non-cash payments by introducing a 2% cashback on all transactions except for gambling starting next year.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

On May 30, at the very beginning of the current phase of confrontation between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the country’s ruling party, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made his infamous Facebook post: “Reverend, go on and keep banging your uncle’s wife – what do you want from me?”

What initially seemed like a worrying verbal attack by the prime minister – marked by elements of sexism and violation of privacy – soon evolved into a large-scale campaign against the Church through the weaponization of law enforcement and the judicial system.

Pashinyan’s vulgar Facebook post took on new significance on October 24, when a Telegram channel named “Armenian WikiLeaks” published several short videos allegedly showing Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan, Chancellor of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, in intimate situations with a woman. The videos, filmed in a bathroom and a living room, were accompanied by a claim that the woman was the archbishop’s uncle’s wife.

📍 The Hovhannavank monastery in Armenia’s Aragatsotn region served a liturgy, attended by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The Armenian Apostolic Church declared the service illegitimate because it was led by a priest the Church recently deposed for siding with the government in its conflict against the ecclesiastical leadership.📍 Azerbaijan will allow the transit of goods between Russia and Armenia through its territory, a senior Russian official announced.📍 Parliament has approved bills cutting public funding for the Church’s TV channel and easing income declaration requirements for most Armenian citizens.📍 Armenia’s New Income Declaration System: Step-By-Step Guide https://www.civilnet.am/en/news/820105/explainer-armenias-new-income-declaration-system-step-by-step-guide/ #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 GTB Holdings, an Armenian construction and metal company, pledged to invest nearly $52 million after winning a bid to complete the unfinished Cascade complex in Yerevan.📍 Senior Armenian and Russian officials signaled progress in potentially loosening the requirements that Armenian citizens face when entering Russia, as Armenian truck drivers say the current setup is threatening their livelihoods.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #civilnetbusiness

📍 Georgia has begun cracking down on a key passenger link with Armenia, small private vans that transport groups of travelers between Yerevan and Tbilisi. 📍 Parliament approved in the first reading a bill that would end public funding for Shoghakat, the Armenian Apostolic Church’s television channel.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

Partner contentCivilNet deep dives into the From Data to Change project, led by Hyphen4 and in partnership with AGBU Armenia, TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia, and GEOVIBES. The project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the Embassy of Switzerland in Armenia. We speak with Hyphen 4 founder Siuneh Arakelian, international experts from MIT and UCLA, and the Armenian university students at the heart of this initiative. The students explain how they are tackling the lack of open spatial data by empowering local youth to map their own communities; from stork nests in Areni to abandoned buildings in Berd. This grassroots effort has already collected over 17,000 data points across six regions, creating a transparent foundation for community development plans and giving citizens a voice in their own future. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 Armenia will shorten mandatory military service from 24 to 18 months starting January 2026.📍 Azerbaijan has lifted the ban on transit of goods from third countries to Armenia through its territory.📍 Armenian truck drivers blocked three of four checkpoints on the country’s border with Georgia, protesting Russia’s deportations and calling on Armenian authorities to address the issue.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

#DemocracyWatch – On October 15, the Investigative Committee of Armenia detained ten clergymen from the Aragatsotn Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church and conducted a search at the diocesan headquarters. The following day, authorities revealed that three individuals had been formally arrested, including the head of the diocese, Bishop Mkrtych Proshyan.

The charges against the clergy involve multiple provisions of the Armenian Criminal Code, including obstruction of the exercise of electoral rights using official position, coercing or obstructing participation in public assemblies through influence or material incentives, and misappropriation of large amounts of entrusted property. These actions were prompted by an interview given in September by another clergyman of the Aragatsotn Diocese, Father Aram Asatryan, in which he stated that he had participated in opposition rallies in 2021 against his will.

A related high-profile arrest occurred on October 16 when lawyer Alexander Kochubaev publicly criticized the criminal proceedings against the clergymen. In a Facebook post, he described investigators, prosecutors, and judges in derogatory terms. Hours later, Kochubaev was forcibly detained and subsequently imprisoned for two months. Authorities charged him under the Criminal Code for publishing defamatory information about judges, prosecutors, and investigators in connection with their professional activities.

CivilNet spoke with longtime friend Timothy Straight, the Honorary Consul of Norway and Finland and a knighted figure who has called Armenia home for 25 years. Tim shares stories from Shamshadin, drawn from his time hosting CivilNet’s beloved series Straight to the Village, where each episode took him on a journey to discover the lesser-known reaches of Armenia, uncovering the socioeconomic situation on the grounds. He also explains the unique honor of being knighted by both Norway and Finland and details his new ventures, which include the Battered Bear Project for women displaced from Artsakh and ArmWool, an initiative using blockchain technology to track the value chain of Armenian wool. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 Vardan Ghukasyan, the mayor of Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, was arrested on bribery charges alongside seven other individuals. A pro-Russian politician, he served as mayor between 1999 and 2012 and was re-elected in April.📍 Armenia might achieve visa-free travel to the European Union within two years, the country’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced.📍 A young woman from Chechnya who fled to Armenia to escape domestic abuse was found dead in Yerevan. Activists suggest she fell victim to a so-called “honor killing,” a practice common in Muslim communities of the North Caucasus where young women are murdered by relatives for actions seen as bringing shame to the family. #CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has claimed Yerevan is working daily to secure the release of Armenian captives in Baku.📍 Armenian truck drivers transporting goods to and from Russia held a protest outside the government building in Yerevan, demanding that the authorities negotiate with Moscow to lift new restrictions that have led to mass deportations of Armenian nationals from Russia.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian law enforcement detained Bishop Mkrtich Proshyan, head of the Aragatsotn regional diocese, on suspicion of coercing participation in mass gatherings. He is now one of the three regional church leaders under custody.📍 Queen Mathilde of Belgium met with Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan in Yerevan.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said he hoped there will be “good news soon” regarding Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan. 📍The United Kingdom has lifted its arms embargo on Armenia and Azerbaijan, which was initially introduced in 1992.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

📍 Armenian freight companies are facing mounting difficulties as Russia’s new migration regulations have led to entry bans for dozens of long-haul drivers.📍 Yerevan celebrated its 2,807th birthday.📍 Armenian airport operator announces $500M expansion: THIS WEEK IN BUSINESS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAc5csWnOSg Credits: Ruptly#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia

Proposing unprecedented sanctions on Azerbaijan’s ruling elite and energy institutions, the Peace Act aims to deter further aggression and reinforce Armenia’s sovereignty. The discussion delves into the bill’s strategic impact and its potential to reshape U.S.–Armenia ties—featuring Global ARM President Timothy Jemal and CivilNet analyst Eric Hacopian.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ

📍 A Georgian national detained in Armenia last month on a Russian arrest warrant has been released, another remains in custody and faces extradition.📍 Armenia’s political landscape begins to take shape ahead of the June 2026 parliamentary elections, with new political movements emerging and veteran figures signaling comebacks.📍 The World Bank has upgraded Armenia’s economic growth outlook for the upcoming years, despite citing workforce outflow as a persisting challenge.#CivilNet #ՍիվիլՆեթ #dailyarmenia