Latest news with #ApostolicChurch
Los Angeles Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia reach no breakthrough on decades-long conflict
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met Thursday in Abu Dhabi for the latest round of talks on ending their almost four decades of a conflict in the South Caucasus but reached no immediate breakthrough. The two nations are working toward a peace treaty after Azerbaijan regained full control of the Karabakh province that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia, since the 1990s. Despite both sides agreeing on the wording of a potential bilateral peace treaty in March, the talks on Thursday brought about little clarity on when the treaty could be finalized. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev instead both pledged to continue work on sensitive issues such as border demarcation. In a joint statement published Thursday, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral negotiations and said the two sides would continue 'confidence building measures.' Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control over the Karabakh province and nearby territories. A six-week war in 2020 resulted in Azerbaijan retaking large parts of the breakaway region. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz to retake remaining portions, forcing Karabakh's Armenian authorities to capitulate in negotiations mediated by Russian forces. Armenia later also handed over several border villages to Azerbaijan. Both sides also have struggled to resolve a dispute over opening a land corridor to Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan exclave, passing through Armenia's Syunik region. Last year, Pashinyan said that Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. Many residents of Armenia's border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan's encroachment on areas they consider their own. A series of demonstrations last year protested against the transfer of villages to Azerbaijani control and called for Pashinyan's resignation. Pashinyan has responded to the growing tension by cracking down on protest leaders. Two leaders of the opposition group Sacred Struggle, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan — senior leaders in the country's influential Apostolic Church — were placed in pre-trial detention in recent weeks after being accused of taking part in an alleged plot to overthrow the government.
Hamilton Spectator
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia reach no breakthrough on decades-long conflict
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met Thursday in Abu Dhabi for the latest round of talks on ending their almost four decades of a conflict in the South Caucasus but reached no immediate breakthrough. The two nations are working toward a peace treaty after Azerbaijan regained full control of the Karabakh province that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia, since the 1990s. Despite both sides agreeing on the wording of a potential bilateral peace treaty in March, the talks on Thursday brought about little clarity on when the treaty could be finalized. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev instead both pledged to continue work on sensitive issues such as border demarcation. In a joint statement published Thursday, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral negotiations and said the two sides would continue 'confidence building measures.' Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control over the Karabakh province and nearby territories. A six-week war in 2020 resulted in Azerbaijan retaking large parts of the breakaway region. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz to retake remaining portions, forcing Karabakh's Armenian authorities to capitulate in negotiations mediated by Russian forces. Armenia later also handed over several border villages to Azerbaijan. Both sides also have struggled to resolve a dispute over opening a land corridor to Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan exclave, passing through Armenia's Syunik region. Last year, Pashinyan said that Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. Many residents of Armenia's border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan's encroachment on areas they consider their own. A series of demonstrations last year protested against the transfer of villages to Azerbaijani control and called for Pashinyan's resignation. Pashinyan has responded to the growing tension by cracking down on protest leaders. Two leaders of the opposition group Sacred Struggle, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan — senior leaders in the country's influential Apostolic Church — were placed in pre-trial detention in recent weeks after being accused of taking part in an alleged plot to overthrow the government. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia reach no breakthrough on decades-long conflict
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met Thursday in Abu Dhabi for the latest round of talks on ending their almost four decades of a conflict in the South Caucasus but reached no immediate breakthrough. The two nations are working toward a peace treaty after Azerbaijan regained full control of the Karabakh province that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by Armenia, since the 1990s. Despite both sides agreeing on the wording of a potential bilateral peace treaty in March, the talks on Thursday brought about little clarity on when the treaty could be finalized. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev instead both pledged to continue work on sensitive issues such as border demarcation. In a joint statement published Thursday, the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral negotiations and said the two sides would continue 'confidence building measures.' Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a bitter conflict over territory since the early 1990s, when ethnic Armenian forces took control over the Karabakh province and nearby territories. A six-week war in 2020 resulted in Azerbaijan retaking large parts of the breakaway region. In September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lightning blitz to retake remaining portions, forcing Karabakh's Armenian authorities to capitulate in negotiations mediated by Russian forces. Armenia later also handed over several border villages to Azerbaijan. Both sides also have struggled to resolve a dispute over opening a land corridor to Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan exclave, passing through Armenia's Syunik region. Last year, Pashinyan said that Armenia needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. Many residents of Armenia's border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan's encroachment on areas they consider their own. A series of demonstrations last year protested against the transfer of villages to Azerbaijani control and called for Pashinyan's resignation. Pashinyan has responded to the growing tension by cracking down on protest leaders. Two leaders of the opposition group Sacred Struggle, Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan — senior leaders in the country's influential Apostolic Church — were placed in pre-trial detention in recent weeks after being accused of taking part in an alleged plot to overthrow the government.
Observer
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Observer
Police, clergy scuffle in Armenia as standoff escalates
YEREVAN: A scuffle broke out in Armenia on Friday between clergymen and police, part of an escalating standoff between the influential Church and the Caucasian nation's authorities. The Two sides have been at loggerheads since Catholicos Garegin II — the church's spiritual leader — began calling for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign over Armenia's military defeat to Azerbaijan in 2020. The loss of the disputed Karabakh region to Azerbaijan in 2023, Armenia's arch-foe, has divided the country and escalated the dispute. On Wednesday, the Armenian authorities said they had foiled a coup plot involving a senior cleric who had rallied opposition to Pashinyan and more than a dozen other suspects. The latest confrontation erupted after police arrived at the residence of the head of the Apostolic Church to arrest another senior figure, archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan. He is accused of publicly calling for the government to be overthrown. Masked police attempted to enter the residence of Garegin II to arrest Adjapahyan. Prosecutors had earlier charged him with "public calls aimed at seizing power... and violently overthrowing the constitutional order". Following the scuffle between priests and law enforcement officers, Adjapahyan said he would surrender to police but denied any wrongdoing. "This is a blatant act of lawlessness against me," he said. "I have never been a threat to our country. The real threat sits in government. I won't hide. I'll go with them." But locals and priests closed the gates of the residence, preventing Adjapahyan from leaving the premises and surrendering to police. Armenia's security service said it would deploy additional forces to detain Adjapahyan. Earlier this month, Pashinyan escalated the feud with the church by accusing Garegin II of fathering an illegitimate child and urging believers to oust him. That prompted calls for Pashinyan to be excommunicated. An Armenian court put an influential cleric into two months of pre-trial detention on coup attempt charges, a day after authorities claimed to have foiled a plot to overthrow the government. On Thursday, "a court of general jurisdiction in Yerevan decided to send Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan to a pre-trial detention for a period of two months," one of his lawyers, Hovhannes Khudoyan, told journalists. Armenia's Investigative Committee said the court granted motions for pre-trial detention for all the detained, adding that "15 suspects have been placed in custody". Later on Thursday, Armenia's prosecutor general office announced it had opened a criminal case against another senior cleric. — AFP
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Armenia church-police clash escalates over political tensions
YEREVAN: A scuffle broke out in Armenia on Friday between clergymen and police, part of an escalating standoff between the influential Church and the Caucasian nation's authorities. Two sides have been at loggerheads since Catholicos Garegin II -- the church's spiritual leader -- began calling for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to resign over Armenia's military defeat to Azerbaijan in 2020. The loss of the disputed Karabakh region to Azerbaijan in 2023, Armenia's arch-foe, has divided the country and escalated the dispute. On Wednesday, the Armenian authorities said they had foiled a coup plot involving a senior cleric who had rallied opposition to Pashinyan and more than a dozen other suspects. The latest confrontation erupted after police arrived at the residence of the head of the Apostolic Church to arrest another senior figure, archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan. He is accused of publicly calling for the government to be overthrown. Masked police attempted to enter the residence of Garegin II to arrest Adjapahyan. Prosecutors had earlier charged him with 'public calls aimed at seizing power... and violently overthrowing the constitutional order'. Following the scuffle between priests and law enforcement officers, Adjapahyan said he would surrender to police but denied any wrongdoing. 'This is a blatant act of lawlessness against me,' he said. 'I have never been a threat to our country. The real threat sits in government. I won't hide. I'll go with them.' But locals and priests closed the gates of the residence, preventing Adjapahyan from leaving the premises and surrendering to police. Armenia's security service said it would deploy additional forces to detain Adjapahyan. Earlier this month, Pashinyan escalated the feud with the church by accusing Garegin II of fathering an illegitimate child and urging believers to oust him. That prompted calls for Pashinyan to be excommunicated.
