ArmInfo.  At the Congressional hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). The hearing, titled "Human Rights in Azerbaijan since the COP 29 UN Climate Change Conference," Jared Genser, Managing Director of Perseus Strategies, LLC, who is the attorney for former Artsakh Minister and Azerbaijan hostage Ruben Vardanyan, highlighted the repression faced by Artsakh's leadership and  Christian Armenians imprisoned in Azerbaijan, the Armenian National  Committee of America (ANCA) reports.  "Ruben's ongoing imprisonment  remains a powerful symbol of Aliyev's brutality. He faces life in  prison on more than 40 fabricated charges. His trial is a mockery of  justice: closed proceedings, no access to legal counsel, and even  denial of the Bible. He was tortured during a hunger strike. And he's  not alone - at least 23 Armenians are being held in sham trials, and  hundreds more have been forcibly disappeared." Genser explained that  the Azerbaijani regime has launched politically motivated  prosecutions against current and former officials of Artsakh, as well  as civilians and POWs, all in a broader effort to erase Armenian  leadership and identity from the region.  "Dictators never release  prisoners because they are asked. They do so only when compelled,"  Genser stated. "That's why the Azerbaijan Democracy Act, public  hearings, international referrals, and real sanctions are critical." 

ArmInfo.  The draft amendments to the law "On Specially Protected Natural Areas" are being discussed at an extraordinary session of the National Assembly of Armenia on April 22.

ArmInfo. 37 years ago, on February 27-29, 1988, an act of genocide against the Armenian population of the city of Sumgait in the Azerbaijan SSR was  committed. As a result of the targeted and planned actions of the  Azerbaijani authorities and with the connivance of the USSR  authorities, mass pogroms and murders of Armenians were committed,  crimes against humanity that shocked the world community with their  savagery and cruelty. The entire Armenian population of 18,000 people  was completely expelled from Sumgait, reads a statement by Armenia's  first human rights defender Larisa Alaverdyan. 

ArmInfo. The initiators of the referendum on an application to join the EU are pursuing the only  goal - the withdrawal of the Russian base from Armenia. A similar opinion was expressed during a press conference on June 25 by former Prime Minister of Armenia Khosrov Harutyunyan.

ArmInfo.The leader of the "Tavush for the Motherland" movement, primate of the Tavush diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is holding a meeting with representatives of the country's political forces on May 18.

ArmInfo. Tomorrow in Yerevan, actions of disobedience are planned from the very morning, and at  4:00pm a large protest rally in Freedom Square. This was stated by head of the "Tavush for the Motherland" movement, Primate of the Tavush diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Bagrat Srbazan on May  14 during a meeting in the courtyard of the Church of St. Anne.

ArmInfo. The Caucasus  Nature Fund (CNF) has implemented numerous projects in Armenia aimed  at effective management and protection of conservation areas. 

ArmInfo. Turkey is negotiating the reopening or border with Armenia, but Azerbaijan's  interests must be considered, Turkish Minister of Trade Mehmet Mus  has stated. 

ArmInfo. On August 2, Baku court sentenced two Armenian prisoners of war to 20 years in prison each, the first 10 years in a general regime colony, and the second 10 years in a strict regime colony.

ArmInfo.Years ago, discovering Armenia, I came to realize a simple truth - it more complicated, but at the same time, easy to love when you know well… And, yes, it is about the Homeland. It's hard because it has so many 'faces', from bad roads to underdeveloped transport infrastructure in the regions… It's easy because every new step is a new discovery. And it turns out there are so many things you don’t know about your country, so many features which would make you proud, and which you could admire

ArmInfo. Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held captive in Azerbaijan must be immediately released and returned to their homeland without any preconditions.  This is stated in the statement of the Armenian Foreign Ministry in  connection with the trial carried out in Baku over the Armenian  prisoners of war.

ArmInfo.Baku does not see any role of Paris in the ceasefire in Karabakh. This is stated in the commentary by head of the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign  Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva in connection with the statement by French  President Emmanuel Macron on June 1 in Paris.

ArmInfo.The Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in connection with the criminal prosecution of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijan. As the MFA's  press service informs, the statement in particular reads. 

ArmInfo. A staged show trial of two Armenian prisoners of war Mkrtchyan Lyudvik, and Khosrovyan  Alyosh  begins in Baku today.

ArmInfo."We are all here because the Armenian statehood is under threat," Naira Zohrabyan, lawmaker of the RA National Assembly from the Prosperous Armenia  opposition faction, told reporters during the rally of the Movement  for the Salvation of the Motherland.

ArmInfo.The Criminal Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Arsen Nikoghosyan, granted the request of the lawyers of the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan to change the measure of restraint in respect of the latter. This was  reported by ArmInfo correspondent.

ArmInfo.  The Criminal Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Arsen Nikoghosyan, decided to postpone the hearing of the case on changing the preventive measure against second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan.

ArmInfo. Armenian mouflons (Ovis orientalis gmelini)  registered in Red List were noticed in the "Zangezur"  Biosphere Complex in the Syunik region of Armenia. As  stated in the message posted on the <Zangezur's>  Facebook page, a  rare species was identified during monitoring.  

ArmInfo. Former RA Prime Minister  Karen Karapetyan urged not to politicize his application in the case  of Second President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan.

ArmInfo.Judge Anna Danibekyan retired to the deliberation room to make a decision on the motions of the lawyers of the second President of Armenia Robert Kocharian. The  decision will be announced on May 13 at 17:50.