Last updated: May 29, 2026
The fate of Armenian prisoners of war held by Azerbaijan has been one of the most persistent and painful subjects in Groong’s coverage, appearing across more than 260 episodes. The issue began with the 44-Day War of 2020, after which Azerbaijan held an unknown number of Armenian soldiers and civilians whose existence Baku long refused to acknowledge.
Groong has followed the POW issue in detail over the years: the identification of prisoners through videos circulated on social media, the legal obligations of Azerbaijan under the Geneva Conventions, failed repatriation efforts, the role of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the ongoing detention of Artsakh ’s political and military leadership following the September 2023 offensive. The prisoners of war question intersects with the broader peace negotiation process and remains unresolved as of the time of writing.
Below are all Groong episodes tagged with Prisoners of War.
Episode 572 | Recorded: July 29, 2026
#ForeverWars #NATO #IranWar #Armenia #TRIPP #MAGA #USForeignPolicy #SouthCaucasus
Episode 572 | Recorded: July 29, 2026
#ForeverWars #NATO #IranWar #Armenia #TRIPP #MAGA #USForeignPolicy #SouthCaucasus
In this episode of Conversations on Groong, we speak with Christine Arakelian about American foreign policy fractures, Iran war risks, and Armenia’s pivot to the West. We discuss whether the United States has coherent foreign policy, the collapse of the MAGA coalition over Forever Wars, NATO 3.0 and Europe’s militarization, and how Pashinyan’s post-2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election government is navigating TRIPP amid global instability.
Asbed and Hovik describe the dire health of Armenian POWs detained in Baku and detail evidence that Pashinyan deliberately keeps them imprisoned to eliminate political rivals.
Asbed argues Pashinyan has no interest in securing the release of Armenian POWs and political prisoners from Baku because these leaders are too popular domestically and pose a threat to Civil Contract’s political dominance.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Baku and praised Aliyev for peace and cooperation, while remaining silent on Armenian POWs still held, ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, and destruction of Armenian heritage sites.
Episode 553 | Recorded: June 1, 2026
#Armenia #May28 #MarcoRubio #TRIPP #Syunik #CriticalMinerals #ElectionFraud #RussiaArmenia
Episode 553 | Recorded: June 1, 2026
#Armenia #May28 #MarcoRubio #TRIPP #Syunik #CriticalMinerals #ElectionFraud #RussiaArmenia
In this episode of Groong’s Week in Review, hosts Hovik and Asbed examine Armenia’s May 28 Independence Day parade as campaign theater, Marco Rubio’s push for critical minerals deals, and the strategic risks of TRIPP in Syunik. We discuss how Pashinyan’s military parade coincides with Armenian prisoners of war held hostage in Baku, the questionable financing of weapons through $8 billion in external debt, and the broader geopolitical pressures from Russia and Iran as Armenia heads into the 2026 Armenian Parliamentary Election.
Episode 544 | Recorded: May 9, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaElections #HayastanDashinq #EPCSummit #TRIPP #Artsakh
Episode 544 | Recorded: May 9, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #ArmeniaElections #HayastanDashinq #EPCSummit #TRIPP #Artsakh
Anna Grigoryan of Hayastan Dashinq (Armenia Alliance) joins Groong to discuss Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary election and the start of the official campaign. The conversation examines the EPC and Armenia-EU summits in Yerevan, EU political and financial support for Pashinyan, Aliyev’s remote demarche, and opposition protests around Artsakh rights, Armenian prisoners, and democratic backsliding. The episode also covers opposition coalition math, Hayastan Dashinq’s 8% bloc threshold, Strong Armenia’s lead among opposition forces, possible post-election governing formulas, Read More
Mr. Balian’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Peacemaking-Nagorno-Karabakh-Opportunities-Rethinking/dp/3032124891
Episode 538 | Recorded: April 30, 2026
#HrairBalian #Groong #Armenia #Artsakh #NagornoKarabakh #TRIPP #ZangezurCorridor #ArmenianElections
Mr. Balian’s book: https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Peacemaking-Nagorno-Karabakh-Opportunities-Rethinking/dp/3032124891
Episode 538 | Recorded: April 30, 2026
#HrairBalian #Groong #Armenia #Artsakh #NagornoKarabakh #TRIPP #ZangezurCorridor #ArmenianElections
Hrair Balian joins us to discuss his book Anatomy of Peacemaking: Nagorno Karabakh Conflict & Missed Opportunities, the failure of diplomacy around Artsakh, and what Armenia should learn from the long collapse of the peace process. The conversation also looks at the Iran war, US and Israeli goals in the region, the TRIPP/Zangezur Corridor and its security impact on Armenia, and the role of outside powers in shaping outcomes in the South Caucasus. The episode closes with a discussion of Armenia’s June parliamentary elections, opposition repression, election monitoring, and whether international observers will judge the vote by facts on the ground or political convenience.
Episode 537 | Recorded: April 27, 2026
#Armenia #Artsakh #StrongArmenia #AregaHovsepyan #ArmenianPolitics #SouthCaucasus #TRIPP #ZangezurCorridor #Geopolitics
Episode 537 | Recorded: April 27, 2026
#Armenia #Artsakh #StrongArmenia #AregaHovsepyan #ArmenianPolitics #SouthCaucasus #TRIPP #ZangezurCorridor #Geopolitics
In this Conversations on Groong episode, we speak with Arega Hovsepyan of the Strong Armenia party about Armenia’s upcoming June 2026 parliamentary elections and the broader political climate. The discussion focuses on recent arrests targeting opposition figures, the situation of displaced Artsakh Armenians, competing narratives around “peace” with Azerbaijan, and the implications of the TRIPP or Zangezur Corridor project. We also examine opposition unity, polling trends, and legal questions surrounding Strong Armenia’s political strategy.
Episode 529 | Recorded on April 3, 2026
#IranIsraelWar #IsraelIranConflict #IsraelConflict #Armenia #MiddleEastCrisis #ArmeniaElections #PietroShakarian #TRIPP
Episode 529 | Recorded on April 3, 2026
#IranIsraelWar #IsraelIranConflict #IsraelConflict #Armenia #MiddleEastCrisis #ArmeniaElections #PietroShakarian #TRIPP
Dr. Pietro Shakarian joined us to discuss the state of the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, the shrinking chances for a diplomatic off-ramp, and how the conflict is shifting wider Eurasian politics. The conversation then turned to Armenia, including the likely freezing of TRIPP amid the Iran war, Pashinyan’s contentious visit to Moscow, and the deeper low point in Armenia-Russia relations. The final section focused on Armenia’s June parliamentary elections, public sentiment toward Pashinyan, fears over election integrity, and the evolving opposition landscape.
Episode 517 | Recorded: February 13, 2026
#Groong #Armenia #JDVance #Tsitsernakaberd #TRIPP
Episode 517 | Recorded: February 13, 2026
#Groong #Armenia #JDVance #Tsitsernakaberd #TRIPP
Episode 510 | Recorded: Jnauary 27, 2026
Episode 510 | Recorded: Jnauary 27, 2026
Episode 507 | Recorded: January 16, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #TRIPP #ArmenianChurch #POWs
Episode 507 | Recorded: January 16, 2026
#AnnaGrigoryan #Armenia #ArmenianPolitics #TRIPP #ArmenianChurch #POWs
Episode 506 | Recorded on January 14, 2026
Episode 506 | Recorded on January 14, 2026
Episode 504 | Recorded: January 12, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianChurch #Etchmiadzin #HumanRights #ReligiousFreedom
Episode 504 | Recorded: January 12, 2026
#Armenia #ArmenianChurch #Etchmiadzin #HumanRights #ReligiousFreedom
Episode 486 | Recorded: November 17, 2025
Episode 486 | Recorded: November 17, 2025
Episode 476 | Recorded: September 28, 2025
Episode 476 | Recorded: September 28, 2025
Episode 473 | Recorded on September 17, 2025
Episode 473 | Recorded on September 17, 2025
Episode 471 | Recorded: September 8, 2025
Episode 471 | Recorded: September 8, 2025
Episode 470 | Recorded: September 5, 2025
Episode 470 | Recorded: September 5, 2025
Episode 465 | Recorded on August 27, 2025
Episode 465 | Recorded on August 27, 2025
Episode 464 | Recorded: August 25, 2025
Episode 464 | Recorded: August 25, 2025
Episode 459 | Recorded: August 11, 2025
Episode 459 | Recorded: August 11, 2025
INTERVIEW IN ARMENIAN / ՀԱՐՑԱԶՐՈՒՅՑ ՀԱՅԵՐԵՆ
Episode 440 | Recorded: March 9, 2025
Read MoreINTERVIEW IN ARMENIAN / ՀԱՐՑԱԶՐՈՒՅՑ ՀԱՅԵՐԵՆ
Episode 440 | Recorded: March 9, 2025
Read MoreEpisode 424 | Recorded: March 25, 2025
Episode 424 | Recorded: March 25, 2025
Episode 418 | Recorded: February 24, 2025
Episode 418 | Recorded: February 24, 2025
Episode 413 | Recorded: February 11, 2025
Episode 413 | Recorded: February 11, 2025
Episode 391 | Recorded: December 4, 2024
Episode 391 | Recorded: December 4, 2024
Escalation in Syria. COP29 Summit. Can NATO save Armenia?