The Region in Brief

January 29, 2025 Hoory Minoyan Briefs 0

Armenia

Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan has announced that, starting February 1, 2025, bus fares will increase from 100 to 150 drams. Originally, the city had proposed a fare increase to 300 drams, but after public pushback, the figure was revised to 150 drams. Opposition parties, however, continue to criticize the increase, with former Mayor Hayk Marutyan leading calls for a boycott and urging the city to retain the 100 dram fare. The move has sparked ongoing debates about the affordability of public transport for Yerevan’s residents, with many arguing that the price hike places an undue burden on citizens.

Artsakh

On January 27, the Baku Military Court resumed proceedings against former Artsakh leaders and civilians facing politically motivated charges, including terrorism, war crimes and genocide. The court rejected requests from the defense to replace detention with house arrest for the former officials. Ruben Vardanyan, former State Minister of Artsakh, has raised concerns about his right to a fair defense, stating that he was given  insufficient time to review the case materials. While his request for an additional month was denied, he was granted 10 more days to familiarize himself with the charges.

Azerbaijan/Russia

Azerbaijani Ambassador Rahman Mustafayev was summoned to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs over recent anti-Russian media reports in Azerbaijan. Yevgeny Primakov, head of the Rossotrudnichestvo federal agency, condemned a Baku TV report accusing the “Russian House” in Baku of anti-Azerbaijani espionage. “I would like to hear irrefutable evidence of this slander and lies from this government-funded Azerbaijani media outlet. Otherwise, we expect a retraction and an apology,” he stated. The report, aired last Friday, claimed that the Russian culture center promotes interethnic discord and acting as an intelligence hub, citing unnamed “trusted sources.”

In response, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign affairs summoned Russia’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mikhail Evdokimov. During the meeting, Azerbaijani officials raised concerns over the airing of critical reports about Azerbaijan in Russian media. The Ministry emphasized that such actions were troubling and undermined the spirit and terms of the Azerbaijan-Russia bilateral alliance, as outlined in the Declaration of Strategic Partnership.

Turkey

Discrimination against Armenians in Turkey remains widespread, through both social and institutional pressures, according to the Open Doors World Watch List 2025 report. The report highlights legal hurdles facing Armenian churches and restrictions on religious practices. It also notes that Turkey ranks among the top 50 countries where Christians face significant challenges due to their faith. The rise of Turkish nationalism has exacerbated difficulties for Armenians, often seen as outsiders despite their long history in the region. A recent example occurred on January 22, when an armed attack targeted the Armenian Tatyan private school in Istanbul’s Bakirkoy district. Two suspects were arrested, one of whom was later released and the other referred to court.

Hoory Minoyan

Hoory Minoyan

Hoory Minoyan was an active member of the Armenian community in Los Angeles until she moved to Armenia prior to the 44-day war. She graduated with a master's in International Affairs from Boston University, where she was also the recipient of the William R. Keylor Travel Grant. The research and interviews she conducted while in Armenia later became the foundation of her Master’s thesis, “Shaping Identity Through Conflict: The Armenian Experience.” Hoory continues to follow her passion for research and writing by contributing to the Armenian Weekly.
Hoory Minoyan

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