Author and host Anna Sargsyan

Human rights activists are sounding the alarm about the unprecedented scale of political persecution and persecution in Armenia. One of its most obvious manifestations is the anti-church campaign, which is being carried out in gross violations of international legal norms. However, there is an opinion that the response of international actors is not commensurate with the violations being committed. Who gave the green light to the Armenian authorities? What geopolitical programs does today's Armenia serve? Anna Sargsyan had an extensive conversation with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Dzyunik Aghajanyan. Watch the first part of the conversation.

How do issues of public importance enter the political agenda and emerge as cases of violation of rights? Is it possible to fight against the “state machine” without international support? What impact did the Amulsar struggle, the loss of Artsakh, and psychological depression have on public activism? When does civil society actually become active, and why is the use of state violence dangerous for the authorities themselves? Anna Sargsyan continued her conversation with human rights activist and political scientist Maya Barkhudaryan.

 

Watch the first part of the conversation HERE.

How do issues of public importance enter the political agenda and emerge as cases of violation of rights? What distinguishes the last years of our lives from the point of view of protecting rights? Isn't the lack of information or its complete absence a serious violation of human rights, when under the enormous information noise there is very little information about essential issues? Anna Sargsyan spoke with human rights defender and political scientist Maya Barkhudaryan.

Human rights activist, President of the "Artsakh Union" NGO Artak Beglaryan, when asked who is listening to the people of Artsakh today, answers: "Today there is a problem of more speakers, because the pressure on the people of Artsakh is great, unfortunately, also from the Armenian authorities." Can geopolitical and internal political tensions overshadow the Artsakh agenda to the extent that it disappears? Anna Sargsyan spoke with Artak Beglaryan.

Poet Husik Ara believes that politics cannot be separated from culture, literature, art and spiritual life. After all, politics is the existence of a country, a state and public life. Everything is interconnected. According to him, today the clergy and intellectual cannot remain silent when they see the danger threatening the state, the genocide of Artsakh. First of all, an ordinary citizen looks at the words of his clergy and intellectual. Is politics interesting to the writer, after all, he creates a universal and transcendental text. Anna Sargsyan talked to poet Husik Ara.

Michael Hezemann’s study “The Armenian Genocide,” based on research from the Vatican’s secret archives, became a serious impetus for the Bundestag of the Federal Republic of Germany to adopt a resolution condemning the Armenian Genocide in 2016. Currently, the Federal Republic of Germany is discussing criminalizing denial, introducing the topic of the Armenian Genocide in textbooks, and other topics. What decades of work underlie these processes, which are being carried out by Armenian structures in the Diaspora? To what extent does the policy pursued by the Armenian government affect this work? Anna Sargsyan spoke with historian and president of the German “Union of Armenian Academics-1860” organization, Azat Ordukhanyan.

Why is our statehood facing an existential threat today, and who benefits from it? Why does political power violate moral norms? Anna Sargsyan spoke with lawyer Taron Simonyan.

What defines Armenia's foreign policy today: economic zones, the search for political identity, or simply the instinct for survival? Anna Sargsyan spoke with political scientist Hrant Mikaelyan.

Republic Day is commemorated in our national calendar on May 28, the day of the proclamation of the first Republic of Armenia. Why do we consider the fact of the proclamation of the republic to be something to celebrate, what is the basis of our public and political perceptions regarding the idea of ​​the state? Anna Sargsyan spoke with ethnographer Mkhitar Gabrielyan.

Ascension Day commemorates the historic day of the transfer of the Catholicosate of All Armenians from the city of Sis to Etchmiadzin in 1441. The reestablishment of the See in Holy Etchmiadzin is considered a turning point, a fateful national-political decision. Would we have the Republic of Armenia today if the Patriarchal See had not been transferred first outside Armenia and then returned to Armenia? Anna Sargsyan spoke with candidate of historical sciences Mikayel Malkhasyan.