The Region in Brief
Artsakh
Speaking at the United Nations Human Rights Council plenary on Tuesday, international lawyer Karnig Kerkonian, a member of the Committee for the Protection of Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh, raised urgent concerns about the situation of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Kerkonian said that following the forced displacement of approximately 150,000 ethnic Armenians, Azerbaijani authorities continue to block their safe return in violation of a November 17, 2023, ruling by the International Court of Justice. “Just two months ago, Azerbaijan expelled the last 11 Armenians remaining in Nagorno-Karabakh,” he said.
He also accused Baku of systematically destroying Armenian cultural and religious heritage in violation of a December 7, 2021, ICJ ruling, in an effort to erase traces of Armenian presence in the region. Kerkonian said that 20 Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh have been arbitrarily detained, subjected to torture and tried in sham proceedings without access to legal representation or evidence.
Kerkonian said Azerbaijan denied detainees independent humanitarian oversight by expelling the International Committee of the Red Cross. He added that the elected representatives of Artsakh are ready to participate in a peace forum established last year by the Swiss Parliament.
“We appeal to the Human Rights Council to stand with our people as we seek to exercise the most fundamental human right: the right to return to our homeland,” Kerkonian said.
Georgia
Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II of All Georgia has died at age 93, according to an announcement by the locum tenens of the patriarchal throne, Bishop Shio Mujiri. Bishop Shio will assume temporary leadership of the Georgian Orthodox Church until a new primate is elected.
Born Irakli Shiolashvili in 1933, Ilia II studied theology at the Moscow Theological Academy before dedicating his life to church service. During the 1950s and 1960s, he advanced through the clerical hierarchy.
In 1977, he was elected Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia. Throughout his tenure, Ilia II was widely regarded as a unifying figure and played a significant role in the spiritual revival of the Georgian people.
Iran
Ali Larijani, a senior figure in Iran’s ruling establishment, was killed in an attack that also claimed the life of senior security official Gholamreza Soleimani. Larijani’s son and members of his security detail were also reported killed. Funeral ceremonies for Larijani and his son are being held Wednesday.
Iranian authorities have signaled the killings will not go unanswered, raising concerns about further regional escalation.
In recent months, Larijani had emerged as a central figure in Iran’s crisis management, overseeing nuclear negotiations and coordinating the government’s response to domestic unrest while maintaining ties across competing political and security factions.
Widely regarded as a pragmatic yet loyal figure capable of bridging rival factions, Larijani’s death is expected to have significant implications for Iran’s internal political landscape and broader regional developments.
Turkey
Against the backdrop of a United Nations meeting, Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar met with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on March 10, along with Armenia’s infrastructure minister, David Khudatyan, to discuss energy and infrastructure cooperation.
According to Bayraktar, the discussions focused on electricity interconnection, natural gas and broader infrastructure projects aimed at promoting “long-term regional stability.” The meeting marked the highest-level contact between Armenian and Turkish officials since Pashinyan’s visit to Istanbul in June 2025, where he met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
While few details were released, the talks appear to center on Armenia’s integration into Turkish and Azerbaijani energy and transit networks, including the proposed TRIPP corridor.
