Groong Podcast Digest — Week of September 7–13, 2026
Published September 13, 2026 3 min read See also: News Digest →- EP584: Hovik and Asbed examine September 2026 developments across Armenia and the South Caucasus, reviewing Artsakh’s remembered independence declaration, Putin’s military base signaling, Armenian Church prosecutions, EU trade negotiations, non-combat military deaths, and political pressures ahead of local elections.
This Week’s Podcast Episodes
Episode 584: Artsakh Remembered, SCO Theater, Russian Signals, and the Cucumber Paradox | Ep 584, Sep 6, 2026
September 2, 1991 marked Artsakh’s independence declaration, and 35 years later the hosts reflect on its meaning after the complete ethnic cleansing of over 150,000 Armenian inhabitants in September 2023. Artsakh’s representative institutions continue operating under pressure in Armenia, raising questions about whether return is possible and what role diaspora communities play in keeping the cause alive. The hosts examine Armenia’s positioning within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its “multipolarity” rhetoric, asking whether the strategic language masks tactical ambiguity or genuine reorientation away from Russian dependence. Putin ’s recent public signals about removing the Russian military base from Armenia introduce new leverage points in regional diplomacy.
The Church prosecution cases show signs of unraveling. Three judges have recused themselves from the Catholicos Karekin II case, and a prosecutor followed suit, suggesting grassroots resistance within the judiciary to cases perceived as political. A defrocked priest, Stepan Asatryan, was ordered to pay Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan 1 million drams after being found liable for libel. Yet the hosts note that major treason accusations against Aregnaz Manukyan and Andranik Tevanyan, including claims of recruiting by foreign intelligence and payments of $600,000, mysteriously disappeared from the indictment sent to court, revealing the cases as PR exercises rather than serious prosecutions. Manukyan remains imprisoned with restricted visitation rights, and her 14-year-old daughter was denied contact with her mother until media pressure intervened.
EU trade liberalization headlines promise benefits, but the details reveal significant barriers: tariff quotas, certification requirements, safeguard clauses, and transport costs limit what Armenian exporters can actually access. Non-combat deaths in the Armenian Armed Forces continue mounting, with accountability gaps under Defense Minister Suren Papikyan despite Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly data and Defense Ministry figures showing persistent discipline problems. Upcoming municipal elections bring pressure on opposition-linked local officials, including scrutiny of figures like Arsen Aghababyan and Eduard Babayan. Armen Grigoryan ’s recent book and public commentary have resurfaced his pre-2018 writings suggesting flexibility on Artsakh concessions, prompting questions about his political evolution since joining Pashinyan’s administration.
Watch/Listen: Episode 584
Keywords: Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), Ethnic Cleansing, Pashinyan, Armenian Church , South Caucasus, Vladimir Putin, Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process, 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election
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