Human rights activist and public figure Avetik Ishkhanyan passes away

Avetik Ishkhanyan (February 25, 1955 – February 16, 2025), a human rights activist and public figure, has passed away. On the morning of February 16, at his request, a relative published his final message on Facebook, titled “Farewell Speech.”

“In 2020, the war instigated by the treasonous prime minister threw me off my feet, and November 9, one might say, ruined my life. After that, I still harbored some hopes that after removing the traitor, it might be possible to raise some issues and change the course of events that seemed irreversible. However, alas, we could not remove the traitor responsible for the defeat — and its very symbol— as he strengthened his power further, continuing to sell out the homeland. During these years, I have become deeply disappointed in many people close to me: relatives, friends, colleagues, as well as the Armenian people and all of humanity.

My nerves could not stand all this and my health deteriorated day by day. I no longer see any glimmer of hope for the future of Armenia and Artsakh. As a member of the “Karabakh” committee, whose goal was to liberate Artsakh, today I feel both my responsibility and my powerlessness in the Artsakh issue. I do not want to see the final destruction of my homeland, I do not want my children persecuted because of my behavior, and I do not want to become a burden to my relatives and friends due to my mood and health. Life had already become suffering for me, both physically and mentally. Every night, when I went to bed, I cherished great hopes that I would never wake up again.

Let us remember Vahan Terian:

Farewell Gazelle

Every second, I say goodbye with love.
To the scorching sun in my burning heart, I say goodbye.
To all people, good and bad, I say goodbye.
To the suffering and orphaned son of Adam, I say goodbye.
To my friends, near and far, I say goodbye.
To my enemies, evil and awake, I say goodbye.
To the blue of the sky, the green of the sea, to the forests deep and dark,
To the spring cloud in the luminous realm, I say goodbye.
A golden chain to my memories, to my night, to my thorns,
To the larks in the golden field, I say goodbye.”

***

A life dedicated to justice

Born in Yerevan on February 25, 1955, Ishkhanyan was the son of renowned Armenian linguist Raphayel Ishkhanyan and Byurakn Cheraz-Andreasyan. He studied geophysics at Yerevan State University and the Russian Geological Research Institute. 

In 1988, he was chosen alongside four other intellectuals as a member of the Karabakh Committee, advocating for Artsakh’s liberation. In 1995, he helped create the Helsinki Committee of Armenia, a watchdog organization defending human rights. 

A voice against political repression

In October 2023, Ishkhanyan penned an open letter to key ambassadors in Armenia, expressing concern over their silence regarding human rights violations in the country. He highlighted that, prior to 2019, he had maintained close cooperation with EU and Western embassies, but his concerns over unconstitutional government actions—especially judicial interference—were ignored. Ishkhanyan accused the Armenian government of systematically violating fundamental human rights—including the right to life, prohibition of torture, freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial—citing numerous cases of political persecution, police brutality and judicial manipulation. 

“I understand the geopolitical interests of your countries, but to the degree that you refuse your declared values of democracy, rule of law, human rights? In fact, you and the leaders of the countries representing you are only pretending to proclaim these values because you do not even mildly criticize the dictatorial tendencies of the prime minister of Armenia. Moreover, during every meeting with him, you bow before him and, with a smile, promise more financial and moral support,” Ishkhanyan wrote in the letter.

Persecution and final years

In November 2023, Ishkhanyan was charged with “inciting violence” over Facebook posts criticizing Armenia’s ruling regime. He was briefly detained and subsequently released. 

“It is possible that the war that started in 2020 and today was conditioned. What failed until the end in 2020, that is, the complete handover of Artsakh, is being attempted now. This was preceded by the anti-Russian statements of the traitor called the prime minister, the so-called observers of the EU, the Armenian-American military exercises, which created an excellent ground for the Azerbaijani attack… Death to traitors!” he wrote on Facebook.

After a prolonged illness, Ishkhanyan passed away on February 16, 2025.

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Ara Nazarian, PhD

Ara Nazarian is an associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a degree in mechanical engineering, followed by graduate degrees from Boston University, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Harvard University. He has been involved in the Armenian community for over a decade, having served in a variety of capacities at the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society, the Armenian Cultural and Educational Center, Armenian National Committee of America, St. Stephen’s Armenian Elementary School and the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

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