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.
Groong episodes that include this tag
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Nagorno Karabakh.
Edgar Elbakyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 13 [EP192]
Posted on Saturday, Dec 24, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Genocide, Human Rights, Georgia, Israel, Ukraine
Guest:
- Edgar Elbakyan , a political scientist and social thinker based in Yerevan, Armenia. He is a co-founder of the Armenian Project non-profit organization, which contributes to enhancing Armenian national civil society.
“The problem is not resources or power, the problem is how you put forward your goals”
Topic:
The blockade of Artsakh is now 13 days old. More than 120,000 people remain trapped in the Republic of Artsakh (or Nagorno-Karabakh). Supermarket shelves are empty. Essential medicine is running out.
On Friday, December 23, thatâs yesterday, a meeting between
Read MoreVaruzhan Geghamyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP191]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Genocide, NATO, Georgia, Human Rights, Syria, Ukraine, European Union, Middle East, India | Series: cog, video
“Turkish threats are going to disappear only when there is no Armenia” - Varuzhan Geghamyan
Guest:
Topic:
- We continue our coverage of the crisis in Artsakh by developments in the UN Security Council as well as Turkish and Iranian concerns in the region.
- More than 120 thousand people, including 30 thousand children, are under siege. Today is the 11th day of the crisis.
- This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between ANN/Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious humanitarian
Varuzhan Geghamyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP191]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Genocide, NATO, Georgia, Human Rights, Syria, Ukraine, European Union, Middle East, India“Turkish threats are going to disappear only when there is no Armenia” - Varuzhan Geghamyan
Guest:
Topic:
- We continue our coverage of the crisis in Artsakh by developments in the UN Security Council as well as Turkish and Iranian concerns in the region.
- More than 120 thousand people, including 30 thousand children, are under siege. Today is the 11th day of the crisis.
- This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between ANN/Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious humanitarian
Aram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP190]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, European Union, Genocide, NATO, Ukraine | Series: cog, video
“Current Armenian government blames everyone, but themselves, Azerbaijan and Turkey.” -Aram Orbelyan
Guest:
- Aram Orbelyan , an international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.
Topic:
This is Day 11 of the complete blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. More than 120 thousand
Read MoreAram Orbelyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 11 [EP190]
Posted on Friday, Dec 23, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Armenian Genocide, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Human Rights, European Union, Genocide, NATO, Ukraine“Current Armenian government blames everyone, but themselves, Azerbaijan and Turkey.” -Aram Orbelyan
Guest:
- Aram Orbelyan , an international law specialist, who is an attorney and managing partner at Concern Dialog law firm, and PhD in Public international law. Mr. Orbelyan lectures at the Academy of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia, and lectured public international law at French University of Armenia. Mr. Orbelyan was Deputy Minister of Justice of Armenia between 2011 and 2014.
Topic:
This is Day 11 of the complete blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. More than 120 thousand
Read MoreHayk Mamijanyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 10 [EP189]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, NATO, European Union | Series: cog, video
“Armenia has to draw a red line - Artsakh can never be part of Azerbaijan” -Hayk Mamijanyan
Guest:
- Hayk Mamijanyan is the leader of the oppositional Pativ Unem (With Honor) alliance in the Armenian National Assembly, and a member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).
Topic:
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.
This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious humanitarian crisis in progress.
Links:
- 168 Hours: https://168.am
Hayk Mamijanyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 10 [EP189]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Nagorno Karabakh, Artsakh Blockade, NATO, European Union“Armenia has to draw a red line - Artsakh can never be part of Azerbaijan” -Hayk Mamijanyan
Guest:
- Hayk Mamijanyan is the leader of the oppositional Pativ Unem (With Honor) alliance in the Armenian National Assembly, and a member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA).
Topic:
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.
This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more English-language coverage on the developments of this very serious humanitarian crisis in progress.
Links:
- 168 Hours: https://168.am
Tevan Poghosyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 9 [EP188]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Ukraine, China, Human Rights | Series: cog, video
âPashinyan, why don’t you go and shake Artak Beglaryanâs hand, like you did in Shushi in 2019â - Tevan Poghosyan
Guest:
- Tevan Poghosyan , is president of the International Center for Human Development in Yerevan. Mr. Poghosyan was an MP in the National Assembly between 2012 and 2017 from the Heritage party. From 1997 to 1999 he served as the Nagorno-Karabakh Public Affairs Office Director in Washington, D.C.
Topic:
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more
Read MoreTevan Poghosyan: Artsakh Under Blockade: Day 9 [EP188]
Posted on Wednesday, Dec 21, 2022 | Category: Artsakh, Politics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Artsakh Blockade, Nagorno Karabakh, Iran, Ukraine, China, Human RightsâPashinyan, why don’t you go and shake Artak Beglaryanâs hand, like you did in Shushi in 2019â - Tevan Poghosyan
Guest:
- Tevan Poghosyan , is president of the International Center for Human Development in Yerevan. Mr. Poghosyan was an MP in the National Assembly between 2012 and 2017 from the Heritage party. From 1997 to 1999 he served as the Nagorno-Karabakh Public Affairs Office Director in Washington, D.C.
Topic:
This is Day 9 of the blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan. This interview is a continuation of the collaboration between Groong and 168 Hours aiming to bring you more
Read More