Category: Armenia

In this week’s Groong Week in Review, Hovik and Asbed discuss Israel’s historic recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Russia’s ongoing warnings toward Armenia, and the political uncertainty following the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We examine the geopolitical context behind Israel’s decision, Pashinyan’s measured response, and what these developments signal about Armenia’s regional position amid shifting US-Turkey relations and broader Middle East tensions.

The Constitutional Court hearing the election challenge is composed entirely of Pashinyan appointees, a historic precedent that fundamentally undermines claims of judicial independence.

Opposition leader Robert Kocharyan was detained at the airport without justification, then charged with crimes allegedly committed two decades ago that fall outside the statute of limitations.

Russia’s embargo on Armenian agricultural exports will devastate the economy by late summer, forcing farmers into poverty and threatening Armenia’s food security and agricultural planning.

Armenia agreed to route internet traffic through Azerbaijan, creating cybersecurity vulnerabilities and strategic dependency on a hostile neighbor with territorial ambitions.

The opposition hopes the Constitutional Court will overturn the election despite being staffed entirely with Pashinyan appointees. Hovik argues this optimism is unfounded.

In this Groong Week in Review episode, Hovik and Asbed examine the fallout from Armenia’s 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Elections, the ongoing US-Iran War ceasefire negotiations and their regional implications, and escalating political persecutions following the vote. We discuss how six opposition parties—including Strong Armenia, Armenia Alliance, Prosperous Armenia, and others—have challenged the election results at the Constitutional Court, Russia’s continued criticism of Pashinyan’s government amid an economic embargo, and Armenia-Azerbaijan telecommunications developments amid broader geopolitical uncertainty in the South Caucasus.

Grigoryan argues Pashinyan is strategically preparing for inevitable constitutional crises by disqualifying opposition parties and restricting diasporic-citizen voting rights.

Dr. Grigoryan deconstructs the Western narrative that Armenian voters made a ‘clear choice’ for Europe, arguing the election was driven by negative voting and distorted media narratives.

Grigoryan explains why the opposition lost: Strong Armenia and the Armenia Alliance embraced TRIPP and Western integration, making them indistinguishable from Pashinyan and thus unelectable.

Grigoryan argues that Armenian voters rejected the pre-2018 regime primarily because of systemic humiliation by oligarchs and local warlords, not merely economic corruption.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Arman Grigoryan about US-Iran negotiations and Armenia’s contested post-election landscape. We discuss the prospects for a US-Iran agreement, its implications for TRIPP and Iran-Russia relations, the aftermath of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, and how shifting great-power dynamics reshape the South Caucasus.

Hrant Mikaelian analyzes why the EU’s 50 million euro credit line cannot realistically replace the Russian market for Armenian agricultural exports, and how logistics costs make European market access illusory.

Hrant Mikaelian details how U.S. and European intelligence agencies, along with a Brussels-Berlin technical coordination group, directly shaped Armenia’s June 2026 elections to advance anti-Russian and TRIPP corridor objectives.

Hrant Mikaelian documents how the government cancelled results from three precincts to deliberately push Prosperous Armenia below the 4% threshold, effectively removing a major opposition party from parliament.

Political scientist Hrant Mikaelian outlines the opposition’s realistic options: accept parliamentary mandates, challenge electoral fraud at the Constitutional Court, and prepare for critical local elections in September and October.

Hrant Mikaelian explains why EVN Report, IRI, and MPG polls all failed catastrophically to predict civil Contract’s actual result, revealing systematic problems in Armenian political polling.

Political scientist Hrant Mikaelian explains why Pashinyan’s government is escalating repression despite claiming electoral victory, signaling deeper anxiety about legitimacy and control.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Hrant Mikaelian about the disputed aftermath of Armenia’s June 7, 2026 parliamentary election. We discuss allegations of electoral fraud, threats against opposition parties, the Anti-Corruption Committee’s proposed ban on opposition groups, Armenia-Russia tensions following the vote, and the EU’s financial support for Armenian agricultural exports amid Russian sanctions.

Hovik warns that Armenia and Georgia must maintain strong partnership to resist external pressures. Without unity, Azerbaijan will emerge as the regional hegemon, benefiting from competition between its neighbors.

In this episode of Groong Week in Review for June 14, 2026, hosts Hovik Manucharyan and Asbed Bedrossian analyze the aftermath of Armenia’s 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, shifting Armenia-Georgia relations, and a landmark interim US-Iran agreement that reshapes regional stability. We discuss the ceasefire framework, sanctions relief, and how the Iran war’s resolution affects Armenian security, energy markets, and the broader South Caucasus landscape.

Prosperous Armenia reported at 3.996 percent, just below the 4 percent threshold. With 17,000 invalid ballots, recounts are essential and could reshape parliament.

Arthur Martirosyan critiques Pashinyan’s campaign rhetoric as threats of imprisonment and violence. In any republic, such threats would disqualify a candidate; Western media ignored them.

Arthur Martirosyan argues that Western powers used a pro-Russian versus pro-Western frame to shield Pashinyan from scrutiny over election violations and democratic backsliding.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur G. Martirosyan about Armenia’s contested 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election and Pashinyan’s path to a third term. We discuss whether the vote was free and fair, how state pressure and Western backing shaped the outcome, the razor-thin thresholds that determine parliamentary representation, Pashinyan’s post-election crackdown against the Established Opposition, and what a Civil Contract supermajority would mean for Armenia’s governance and the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process.

In this episode of Groong Week in Review, we analyze the disputed results of Armenia’s June 7, 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We examine Civil Contract’s contested majority, alleged irregularities and invalid ballots, the OSCE/ODIHR preliminary report, the last-minute exclusion of Prosperous Armenia, opposition arrests and pressure, and what a three-fifths majority could mean for Armenia’s courts, institutions, and foreign policy.

In this Spotlight on Silence episode, we speak with Rafael Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Center for Political Rights about selective justice and state pressure ahead of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We discuss wiretaps and leaks targeting opposition figures, abuse of hate speech laws against government critics, military service summons used as political coercion, and Pashinyan’s threats against political opponents and Artsakh Armenians.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Philippe Raffi Kalfayan about Armenia’s deteriorating democratic conditions ahead of the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election. We discuss IODA’s second election observation mission, widespread arrests of opposition figures, state intimidation of voters, selective prosecution, and the serious threats to electoral legitimacy and civil rights under the Civil Contract regime.

In this episode of Groong’s Week in Review, hosts Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia’s May 28 Independence Day parade as campaign theater, Marco Rubio’s push for critical minerals deals, and the strategic risks of TRIPP in Syunik. We discuss how Pashinyan’s military parade coincides with Armenian prisoners of war held hostage in Baku, the questionable financing of weapons through $8 billion in external debt, and the broader geopolitical pressures from Russia and Iran as Armenia heads into the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Dr. Sergey Markedonov about Russia-Armenia relations and Armenia’s geopolitical position ahead of the June 7, 2026 Armenian parliamentary elections. We discuss the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), Russian concerns about regional balance, Pashinyan’s westward orientation, economic pressure from Moscow, and how Armenia’s strategic partnerships will shape its future in the South Caucasus.

In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Arthur Khachatryan of the Hayastan Dashinq, Armenia Alliance about the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election scheduled for June 7. We discuss whether free and fair elections are possible given foreign interference from the West, abuse of administrative resources by the ruling Civil Contract party, media control, and competing pressures from the United States, EU, Russia, and regional actors including Turkey and Azerbaijan.

This Week in Review examines the tightening political climate in Armenia ahead of the June 2026 parliamentary elections. Asbed and Hovik discuss Marco Rubio’s sudden Armenia visit, new polling from IRI, MPG, and CAEAC, and what the wide gaps in voter disclosure may reveal about hidden opposition support. The episode also covers TRIPP, “Western Azerbaijan” rhetoric, public trust in the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the growing use of arrests, threats, and state pressure against opposition figures. The discussion centers on Pashinyan’s escalating campaign rhetoric, including his “Why are you alive?” outburst, and what it signals about the stakes of the coming election.