Nagorno Karabakh
Last updated: May 29, 2026
The Nagorno Karabakh conflict — also known as the Artsakh conflict, and in official Azerbaijani and international usage as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict — has been the central subject of Groong’s coverage since the podcast launched. With more than 450 episodes addressing the dispute in whole or in part, this archive represents one of the most comprehensive English-language audio records of the conflict’s recent history.
At its core, the conflict was not simply a territorial dispute between two states. The Armenian population of Artsakh — the Republic of Artsakh — was asserting its right to self-determination, a principle recognized in international law and enshrined in the UN Charter. That claim stood in direct tension with Azerbaijan’s insistence on its territorial integrity and the inviolability of Soviet-era administrative borders. The failure to resolve that tension through diplomacy over three decades ultimately ended in war.
Groong covered the 44-Day War of September–November 2020, in which Azerbaijan retook large portions of Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh) with Turkish military support, and the November 9, 2020 ceasefire brokered by Russia. That ceasefire created an unstable status quo: the Republic of Artsakh continued to exist on a reduced territory under the protection of Russian peacekeepers, but Azerbaijan progressively tightened its grip. The nine-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor from December 2022 onward cut the region off from food, medicine, and fuel, creating a humanitarian crisis documented in real time on Groong.
Azerbaijan’s military offensive of September 19–20, 2023 ended Armenian governance of Nagorno-Karabakh entirely. Within three weeks, virtually the entire Armenian population of Artsakh at the time — some 120,000 people, the descendants of communities that had lived in the region for millenia — was driven from the Republic of Artsakh to Armenia. Human rights organizations and many governments characterized this as ethnic cleansing. The Azerbaijani government dissolved the Republic of Artsakh on January 1, 2024.
Groong’s ongoing coverage addresses the situation of Armenian prisoners of war still held in Baku, including former Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, the right of return for the displaced population, ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations, and the prospects for accountability for what occurred.
Armenia Attacked | Border Politics | Back to OSCE MG | Municipal Results | Ep #101 - Nov 14, 2021 [EP101]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 17, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Politics, Geopolitics, Russia, Azerbaijan, Artsakh, Turkey, Israel, China, Ukraine, Georgia, Iran, Economy, Middle East, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union, Syria | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 7, 2021
Topics:
- Armenia under wide scale attacks by Azerbaijan @0:55
- Border Politics @7:20
- Azerbaijan Returns to the OSCE MG @29:49
- Municipal elections Over the Past Weekend @44:38
Guests:
- Arthur Martirosyan TW/@ArtMart96 Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 101 | Recorded: Monday, November 16, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211114.html
Talking with Alison Tahmizian Meuse | Ep. #100 - Nov 17, 2021 [EP100]
Posted on Tuesday, Nov 16, 2021 | Category: Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh, Armenia, Politics, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Middle East, Genocide, India, Armenian Genocide, Economy, Georgia, USA, Russia, European Union | Series: cog, video
Talking with Alison Tahmizian Meuse - TW/@AliTahmizian - November 17, 2021
- Alison Tahmizian Meuse is a graduate of the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs. She is a French and Arabic speaker, and a veteran Middle East journalist, having worked over the past decade as a producer, correspondent and editor for major international publications including Agence France-Presse, NPR, and the Asia Times. She currently serves as a strategic advisor for the New Delhi-based consultancy DeepStrat and is newly based in Yerevan.
Topics:
- The drive to cover dangerous
War in Artsakh, 1 Year On | Erika Olson visits Region | Internal developments | Ep #99 - Nov 7, 2021 [EP99]
Posted on Tuesday, Nov 9, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, China, Artsakh, India, Georgia, Turkey, Israel, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - November 7, 2021
Topics:
- The War in Artsakh, One Year Later
- Erika Olson visits the South Caucasus
- Internal political developments
Guests:
- Benyamin Poghosyan TW/@Benyamin_Poghos
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 99 | Recorded: Monday, November 8, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211107.html
State of Affairs in Lebanon & the Armenians a Year After the Beirut Explosion | Ep #98 - Nov 8, 2021 [EP98]
Posted on Monday, Nov 8, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Lebanon, Iran, Turkey, Economy, Syria, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh, China, Genocide, Israel, Middle East, Russia, Nagorno Karabakh, European Union | Series: COG
The State of Affairs in Lebanon A Conversation with Dr. Ohannes Geukjian and Vera Yacoubian
Topics:
- A year after the Beirut Explosion, whatâs the state of investigations?
- Has Anyone been held Accountable?
- Who are the Internal and External Players in Lebanon?
- Whatâs the State and Future of the Armenian Community in Lebanon?
Guests:
- Dr. Ohannes Geukjian
- Vera Yacoubian
Hosts:
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
- Katia Peltekian TW/@KatiaPeltekian
Episode 98: Recorded on Saturday, November 6, 2021 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20211108.html
Save Our Monuments | A Year After the War in Artsakh | AM/AZ Case at the ICJ | Ep #97 - Nov 3, 2021 [EP97]
Posted on Wednesday, Nov 3, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Genocide, Artsakh, Georgia, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: COG
Save Armenian Monuments A Conversation with Virginia Davies and Heghnar Watenpaugh
Topics:
- One year after the War in Artsakh, the State of Armenian Monuments in Lands turned over to Azerbaijan
- What is Save Armenian Monuments?
- The Significance of Pilgrimage and Holy Sites
- Armenia and Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice: Is Intentional Cultural Destruction a form of Racial Discrimination?
- What Next Steps?
Guests:
- Virginia Davies TW/@vdaviesnyc
- Heghnar Watenpaugh TW/@HeghnarW
Host:
- Simon Maghakyan TW/@simonforco
Episode 97 | Recorded: November 2, 2021 Show notes: https://groong.org/podcasts/CoG-20211103.html
Georgian Runoffs | Turkish Drones in Donbas | Iran-Turkey | G20 Palooza | Ep #96 - Oct 31, 2021 [EP96]
Posted on Monday, Nov 1, 2021 | Category: Russia, Iran, Armenia, Ukraine, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, China, Artsakh, Israel, Economy, Geopolitics, Human Rights, India, Nagorno Karabakh, NATO | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - October 31, 2021
Topics:
- Georgiaâs Runoff Elections
- Turkish Drones in Donbas
- Iran-Turkey Tensions
- The G20 Palooza
Guests:
- Pietro Shakarian
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 96 | Recorded: October 31, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211031.html
Armenia’s Borders in Maps - A Conversation with Rouben Galichian | Ep 95 - Oct 29, 2021
Guest:
Topics:
- Following the 44-day War in Artsakh, Azerbaijan’s president demands Armenia sign a “Peace Treaty” involving full border recognition.
- Historical and contemporary mapping of Armenian borders
- Early cartography and 20th-century developments
- Enclaves, the Goris-Kapan Highway, and Sev Lake
- Armenia-Iran border considerations
Episode 95 | Recorded: October 29, 2021
“Positive Messages” | Street Rallies | Election Setbacks | Siradeghyan Dies | Ep #94 - Oct 24, 2021 [EP94]
Posted on Monday, Oct 25, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Artsakh, Iran, Human Rights, Georgia, Turkey, China, Nagorno Karabakh | Series: WIR
ANN/Groong Week in Review - October 24, 2021
Topics:
- Yerevanâs âPositive Messagesâ
- Opposition Going Back to Street Rallies?
- Ruling Party Setbacks in Local Elections
- Vano Siradeghyan Dies
Guests:
- Tevan Poghosyan TW/@TevanPoghosyan
Hosts:
- Hovik Manucharyan TW/@HovikYerevan
- Asbed Bedrossian TW/@qubriq
Episode 94 | Recorded: October 25, 2021 Website: https://groong.org/podcasts/WiR-20211024.html
Armenia’s Diplomacy and Corridors Politics | Ep. 93 - Oct 19, 2021 [EP93]
Posted on Tuesday, Oct 19, 2021 | Category: Armenia, Artsakh, Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Turkey, Economy, India, Russia, Georgia, China, Syria | Series: COG
Armeniaâs Diplomacy and Corridor Politics
Topics:
- In the past month a flurry of diplomatic activity has risen around Armenia. The top diplomats from neighboring countries, regional and global powers have met with Armeniaâs top leadership to discuss the shifting geopolitics reshaping the South Caucasus politically and economically for the coming decades. How is Armeniaâs diplomacy navigating the âCorridor Politicsâ and what are the prospects for a peaceful neighborhood?
Guest:
Episode 93 | Recorded: October 18, 2021