Astrig Agopian

May 1, 2024 | csmonitor.com | Astrig Agopian

Young people in Georgia – the country in the Caucasus, not the U.S. state – are demonstrating en masse to try to block a law they say will stifle opposition voices. Violence broke out on Tuesday evening on the streets of the capital, Tblisi, and more seems likely since the ruling party insists it will push the bill through.

May 1, 2024 | everand.com | Astrig Agopian

Outside the Georgian Parliament on Tuesday night, a young woman with short brown hair, draped in the red-and-white Georgian flag, faced down dozens of balaclava-clad riot police officers. “We want Europe; we don’t want Russia,” the biology student, who gave only her first name, Mira, says. “We are here ... to make the government listen to us.”Minutes later, the police used water cannons and tear gas to push back and

Oct 5, 2023 | thenewhumanitarian.org | Astrig Agopian

Republish this articleIn the space of just two weeks, more than 100,000 people – out of an estimated population of around 120,000 – have fled Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia. The territory, inside the borders of Azerbaijan but controlled by Armenian separatists since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, fell to Azerbaijani troops following a lightning 19 September offensive, which was preceded by a nine-month blockade that starved the area of supplies.

Oct 2, 2023 | lavie.fr | Astrig Agopian

Une brume épaisse enveloppe les montagnes aux nuances bleutéesqui semblent s’étendre sans fin à Kornidzor, village arméniendevenu le point de passage des évacués du Haut-Karabakh. Le flux devoitures chargées de sacs en toile et de bus remplis a diminuéaprès quatre jours intenses, avant de complètement se tarir. Plusde 100 000 personnes ont fui l’enclave, après la capitulationdu gouvernement de cette république autoproclamée, qui a annoncé sapropre dissolution pour janvier 2024.

Sep 29, 2023 | today.lorientlejour.com | Astrig Agopian

Mariam Sohomonyan made her way between cars with canvas-bagged roofs and white tents set up by the Armenian Red Crossin Kornitzer, the last Armenian village before the Azerbaijan border and the Lachin corridor, leading into Nagorno-Karabakh. She carried fruit juice and bread distributed by volunteers, as she wound her way through passing lorries and buses that kicked up dust and brought tears to the eyes of those who weren’t already crying.