Armenian Revolutionary Federation
Last updated: May 30, 2026
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation, known as ARF-Dashnaktsutyun or simply the ARF, is one of Armenia’s oldest and most historically significant political organizations. Founded in the 19th century, the party has maintained a presence in Armenian politics across generations and geographies, with influence in both the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora . In contemporary Armenian politics, the ARF serves as a major opposition force, competing in the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election as part of the Armenia Alliance (Hayastan Dashinq). Groong covers the ARF as a key player in Armenia’s contested electoral landscape and as a voice articulating positions on national security, Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Process negotiations, Armenia’s relationship with the Armenian Church , and Armenia’s strategic alignment between Russia, the West, and Iran.
The ARF entered the 2021 National Assembly as part of the Hayastan Dashinq opposition coalition but faced a ruling Civil Contract supermajority that limited opposition leverage. Since then, ARF figures have consistently criticized Pashinyan’s government on multiple fronts: the handling of the 44-Day War and its aftermath, the complete ethnic cleansing of more than 150,000 Armenian inhabitants from Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), the Artsakh Blockade and its humanitarian consequences, and what the party views as unconstitutional concessions to Azerbaijan in ongoing peace talks. The ARF has also been vocal about the government’s confrontation with the Armenian Church and state pressure on clergy and religious institutions. Episodes featuring ARF representatives, including Arthur Khachatryan and Giro Manoyan, have addressed these themes alongside the party’s platform for the 2026 election, economic policy, military modernization, and diaspora engagement.
A recurrent theme in Groong’s coverage is the ARF’s position within Armenia’s fractured opposition landscape and the challenge facing opposition parties to collectively clear electoral thresholds while the ruling party controls state resources, media access, and administrative levers. Episodes have examined the ARF’s calls for either early elections or impeachment proceedings against Pashinyan, its stance on the Zangezur Corridor (also known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP), and its criticism of what it characterizes as fake peace negotiations that fail to address Armenian security interests or the rights of Artsakh’s displaced population. The party’s engagement with regional geopolitical shifts, including Armenia’s pivot toward EU institutions and its complex relationship with the CSTO and Russia, reflects debates within Armenian society about the country’s future direction in a volatile South Caucasus.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Armenian Revolutionary Federation.
ARF-Dashnaktsutyun: Roadmap & Challenges - Conversation with Giro Manoyan | (Ep #69) - June 11, 2021 [EP69]
Posted on Friday, Jun 11, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Church, Economy, Iran, Lebanon, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: cog
ARF-Dashnaktsutyun: Roadmap and Challenges
Guest
- Giro Manoyan has been a member of the ARF-D Bureau since 2015. Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, he moved to Montreal, Canada in 1976. He has served as the Executive Secretary of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, as well as the Editor in Chief of the Horizon Armenian Weekly. In 1999 he moved to Yerevan and has served as the Executive Director of the Bureau of the ARF-D, in charge of the Armenian Cause, Hai Tahd Central Committee.
Topics
- The ARF in the Politics of Armenia
- On the War in 2020
- On the Upcoming Elections in 2021
- On the
ARF-Dashnaktsutyun: Roadmap & Challenges - Conversation with Giro Manoyan | (Ep #69) - June 11, 2021 [EP69]
Posted on Friday, Jun 11, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Church, Economy, Iran, Lebanon, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, NATOARF-Dashnaktsutyun: Roadmap and Challenges
Guest
- Giro Manoyan has been a member of the ARF-D Bureau since 2015. Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, he moved to Montreal, Canada in 1976. He has served as the Executive Secretary of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, as well as the Editor in Chief of the Horizon Armenian Weekly. In 1999 he moved to Yerevan and has served as the Executive Director of the Bureau of the ARF-D, in charge of the Armenian Cause, Hai Tahd Central Committee.
Topics
- The ARF in the Politics of Armenia
- On the War in 2020
- On the Upcoming Elections in 2021
- On the
Armenians at Crossroads - a Conversation with Dr. Viken Hovsepian (Ep #58) - 04/17/2021 [EP58]
Posted on Friday, Apr 16, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, NATO | Series: cog
Guest(s):
Armenians at Crossroads - 04/17/2021
Topics:
- The Last Few Years in Armenian Politics
- Thoughts on the Second War in Artsakh
- What is the Role of the Diaspora?
- How do we get back on our Feet?
- Thoughts on the Current Rift in the ARF
Guest
- Dr. Viken Hovsepian holds a BA in Political Science from UCLA, and an MA and PhD in International Relations from USC. He has served on the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau, the highest executive body of the Organization, and has been a member, and chairman of the ARF Western US Central Committee. In 2019, he helped establish the Pan
Armenians at Crossroads - a Conversation with Dr. Viken Hovsepian (Ep #58) - 04/17/2021 [EP58]
Posted on Friday, Apr 16, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, NATOGuest(s):
Armenians at Crossroads - 04/17/2021
Topics:
- The Last Few Years in Armenian Politics
- Thoughts on the Second War in Artsakh
- What is the Role of the Diaspora?
- How do we get back on our Feet?
- Thoughts on the Current Rift in the ARF
Guest
- Dr. Viken Hovsepian holds a BA in Political Science from UCLA, and an MA and PhD in International Relations from USC. He has served on the ARF Dashnaktsutyun Bureau, the highest executive body of the Organization, and has been a member, and chairman of the ARF Western US Central Committee. In 2019, he helped establish the Pan
Opposition Talks: Arthur Khachatryan - ARF Dashnaktsutyun (Ep. 34) [EP34]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Genocide, Turkey | Series: cog
Guest(s):
Conversation with ARF’s Arthur Khachatryan
Following the trilateral Karabakh ceasefire of Nov 9, the Armenian opposition has nearly universally condemned Nikol Pashinyanâs agreement to the deal. The largest opposition grouping, called Movement of the Salvation of the Homeland (ÕÕ¡ÕµÖÕ¥Õ¶Õ«ÖÕ« ÖÖÕ¯Õ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Õ·Õ¡ÕªÕ¸ÖÕ´ in Armenian), composed of 17 political parties including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Prosperous Armenia, and the Republican Party, are demanding Pashinyanâs immediate resignation and the appointment of their
Read MoreOpposition Talks: Arthur Khachatryan - ARF Dashnaktsutyun (Ep. 34) [EP34]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Genocide, TurkeyGuest(s):
Conversation with ARF’s Arthur Khachatryan
Following the trilateral Karabakh ceasefire of Nov 9, the Armenian opposition has nearly universally condemned Nikol Pashinyanâs agreement to the deal. The largest opposition grouping, called Movement of the Salvation of the Homeland (ÕÕ¡ÕµÖÕ¥Õ¶Õ«ÖÕ« ÖÖÕ¯Õ¸ÖÕ©ÕµÕ¡Õ¶ Õ·Õ¡ÕªÕ¸ÖÕ´ in Armenian), composed of 17 political parties including the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), Prosperous Armenia, and the Republican Party, are demanding Pashinyanâs immediate resignation and the appointment of their
Read MoreANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #18) - 09/27/2020 [EP18]
Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Israel, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Syria, Artsakh, China, Economy, Genocide, Lebanon, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian Genocide | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #18) - 09/27/2020
Topics:
- The 29th Anniversary of Armenian Independence;
- Armeniaâs foreign policy;
- Azerbaijan war of disinformation; and lastly
- Opposition trio rally and Tsarukyanâs arrest
Guests
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Marine Manucharyan
- Emil Sanamyan
Hosts
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20200927.html Episode 18 | Recorded on September 26, 2020
ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #18) - 09/27/2020 [EP18]
Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Israel, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Syria, Artsakh, China, Economy, Genocide, Lebanon, Ukraine, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenian GenocideGuest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #18) - 09/27/2020
Topics:
- The 29th Anniversary of Armenian Independence;
- Armeniaâs foreign policy;
- Azerbaijan war of disinformation; and lastly
- Opposition trio rally and Tsarukyanâs arrest
Guests
- Asbed Kotchikian
- Marine Manucharyan
- Emil Sanamyan
Hosts
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan
Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20200927.html Episode 18 | Recorded on September 26, 2020
ANN/Groong Week in Review - (Ep #16) - 09/20/2020 [EP16]
Posted on Monday, Sep 21, 2020 | Category: Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Genocide, Human Rights, Israel, Armenian Church, Armenian Genocide, NATO | Series: wir
Guest(s):
ANN/Groong Week in Review - 09/20/2020
Topics:
- Constitutional Court Appointment
- Armeniaâs Growing National Debt
- Calls for the Resignation of the Minister of Education
- Escalated Tensions on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border
- Armenian Soldier dies amidst escalation
- Azerbaijan again slams negotiations, turns away Russian AWACS
- Khodorkovsky Publishes New Dossier on Armenian & Azerbaijan
- Bob Dole hired by Embassy of Armenia as a Lobbyist
Guests
- Hrant Mikaelyan
- Emil Sanamyan
- Alen Zamanyan
Hosts
- Asbed Bedrossian
- Hovik Manucharyan