Manya Israelyan

Stories by the Author

The town of Alaverdi in northeastern Armenia, near the border with Georgia, crossed by the Debed river. A criminal case was filed in late July, following a complaint that the river, a source of irrigation for some two dozen villages, had been polluted by Nahatak tailings. © Mania Israelyan/IWPR

Armenia: Mining Leaves Toxic Legacy

Activists call on government and local industry to respond to recent research revealing major hazards.

3 Oct 22

Lilit Martorysyan is Armenia's most propminent transgender activist. In 2019 she addressed the Parliament, calling for protection and respect for her community. Her brief and healt-felt speech prompted political and diplomatic arguments, but it also marked a landmark step for LGBTI rights in the country. © Mania Israyelyan

Armenia: “I Was Born in a Body That Was Not Mine”

Country’s most prominent transgender activist describes her struggle to protect her community from discrimination and violence.

31 Mar 22

An elementary school in Armenia's Syunik province. Parents shoulder a significant burden to ensure that their children receive proper schooling, with some experts assessing that a third of the average Armenian household expenditure was on education-related costs. © Mania Israyelyan

Armenia’s Education Gap

Parents are forced to shoulder a significant burden to ensure that their children receive proper schooling.

24 Mar 22

Vladimir Vardanyan, the lawmaker who co-authored the new law, makes a case for it during the July 30 session that ratified it. © The National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Website

Armenia Criminalises Offence

Using foul language or “hurting the dignity” of public figures could lead to up to three months in jail.

17 Aug 21

Armenia Pursues “Astronomical” Fines for Defamation

Warnings that new legislation will have a chilling effect on independent media.

1 May 21

Opposition parties gathered in front of the National Assembly in Baghramyan Avenue to protest Pashinyan. © Mania Israyelyan

Armenia’s Political Crisis Heats Up

Leader condemns army interference after military chiefs demand his resignation.

8 Mar 21

President Putin, President Aliyev, and Prime Minister Pashinyan meet to discuss the unblocking of transit routes. © Press Office of the Armenian Government

Will Armenia Gain From New Regional Transit Routes?

Critics fear that risks outweigh any potential benefits.

12 Feb 21

A road cutting through the village of Shurnukh that divides the area into sides controlled by Armenia and Azerbaijan. (Photo: Armenia's Ombudsman's Official FB Page)

Armenians Displaced By Post War Demarcations

Some villages have been divided in two by new boundaries.

20 Jan 21

Armenian tanks leave Nagorno-Karabakh following the end of the war with Azerbaijan on November 12, 2020 in Vardenis, Armenia. (Photo: Alex McBride/Getty Images)

Georgia Weighs Consequences of Karabakh Truce

With both Armenia and Azerbaijan as neighbours, Tbilisi has long tried to stay neutral.

13 Nov 20

Cooling towers of Metsamor nuclear power plant, Armenia. (Photo: Adam Jones/Flickr)

Armenia: Fears Over Nuclear Waste

Safe disposal has become a major challenge for policymakers.

14 Oct 20

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