ANN/Groong — The English-Language Armenian Podcast

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Guest(s):

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• Election aftermath and disputed legitimacy
• Threats against opposition parties
• Armenia-Russia tensions after vote
• EU lifeline for Armenian exports
• Polling failures and hidden votes

Episode 559 | Recorded: June 18, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianElections #HrantMikaelian #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #ArmeniaRussia #Polling

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Topics:

• Armenian Election Aftermath
• Armenia-Georgia Relations
• US-Iran Interim Agreement

Episode 558 | Recorded: June 15, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianNews #ArmenianElections #CivilContract #Pashinyan #ArmenianConstitution #Referendum #ProsperousArmenia #SouthCaucasus #CEC

• EP556: We analyze the disputed results of Armenia’s June 7, 2026 parliamentary election, examining 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.
• EP557: Arthur G. Martirosyan examines Armenia’s contested 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election, discussing whether the vote was free and fair, how state pressure and Western backing shaped the outcome, 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.

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Guest(s):

• Arthur G. Martirosyan

Topics:

• Contested results and thresholds
• Pashinyan’s post-election crackdown
• Western backing and interference
• Russia’s delayed pressure campaign
• Opposition choices after the vote

Episode 557 | Recorded: June 9, 2026

#ArmenianElections #Armenia #NikolPashinyan #CivilContract #StrongArmenia #ArmenianOpposition

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Topics:

• Disputed mandate, unresolved majority
• Election-day irregularities in plain sight
• ODIHR’s mixed preliminary verdict
• Bribery replaced by state spending
• Opposition’s next steps uncertain

Try the Groong Podcast App

Episode 556 | Recorded: Jun 9, 2026 #ArmenianElections #ArmenianNews #CivilContract #Pashinyan #Election2026 #SouthCaucasus

The Groong Podcast App is now in beta: a dedicated, installable home for Groong listeners that keeps the full catalog in one place, lets you watch or listen, and notifies you directly when a new episode drops. No algorithm deciding what you see.

• EP553: We examine Armenia’s May 28 Independence Day parade as election theater, Marco Rubio’s push for critical minerals deals and the TRIPP framework, and the strategic risks Armenia faces from Russia and Iran as the country heads into the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election.
• EP554: Dr. Philippe Raffi Kalfayan returns from IODA’s second election observation mission to report a sharply deteriorating pre-election climate marked by arrests of opposition figures, state intimidation of voters, misuse of public resources, and widespread fear among citizens.
• EP555: Rafael Ishkhanyan of the Armenian Center for Political Rights examines how state institutions selectively enforce laws against opposition figures while ignoring alleged government abuses, including wiretap leaks, weaponized hate speech prosecutions, threats against political opponents, and military conscription used as electoral coercion.

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Guest(s):

• Rafael Ishkhanyan

Topics:

• Selective law enforcement before elections
• Wiretaps, leaks, and campaign pressure
• Hate speech laws against critics
• Official threats without consequences
• Military summons as political coercion

Episode 555 | Recorded: June 4, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianElections #HumanRights #PoliticalPersecution #Artsakh #RafaelIshkhanyan #Groong

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Guest(s):

• Philippe Raffi Kalfayan

Topics:

• Arrests of government critics
• State pressure on voters
• Public resources used for campaigns
• Selective prosecution before elections
• Election legitimacy under serious doubt

Episode 554 | Recorded: June 3, 2026

#Armenia #ArmenianElections #Election2026 #IODA #OSCE #ODIHR #Geopolitics #Democracy