Armenian National Committee of the United Kingdom - ANC UK

19/08/2026

Former Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Foreign Minister David Babayan has sent an audio message from Azerbaijani captivity following the conclusion of the appeal stage of his trial on August 19. “What trial? This was a theatre, the script of which was written in advance”, said Babayan, describing the proceedings as marked by fabricated accusations, procedural abuses and the systematic rejection of defence appeals.

He stated that “more than 95% of the accusations are fabricated and there is no evidence”, and described the process as “nothing more than legal apartheid”. Babayan also revealed that he and several other Armenian prisoners are suffering from health problems. “It is one thing to fight for justice, it is another thing to sit [in prison] for it. But know that although we are sitting, we are not kneeling.”

His complete statement here: https://news.am/en/video/1056191

14/08/2026

Christian Solidarity International (CSI) has reported that the Holy Mother of God Church in Stepanakert, the former seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church’s Diocese of Artsakh, has been destroyed by Azerbaijan.

According to CSI, the Armenian khachkars within the church grounds were also razed in April. The organisation described the destruction as “part of a sustained, state-led campaign targeting Armenian spiritual and cultural heritage in Artsakh / Nagorno-Karabakh”.

CSI recalled that, in December 2021, the International Court of Justice issued a provisional measure requiring Azerbaijan to prevent acts of vandalism and desecration affecting Armenian cultural heritage. It stated that “instead, Baku has continued its policy of deliberate erasure”.

“Azerbaijan is systematically dismantling and erasing churches in full view of the international community”, CSI warned, linking the destruction to the wider targeting of Armenian heritage following Azerbaijan’s military offensives and the forced displacement of the Armenian population of Artsakh.

Read the article by Siranush Sargsyan here: https://www.csi-int.org/news/the-destroyed-cathedral-of-stepanakert-an-indigenous-peoples-story/

11/08/2026

August 11 marks Navasard, the first month of the ancient Armenian calendar and the traditional beginning of the Armenian New Year.

For centuries, Navasard was celebrated as a time of renewal, joy and abundance, with festivities honouring the Navasardian deity, associated with the protection of crops and providing for those in need.

According to the ancient Armenian calendar, we now welcome the year 4519. Wishing Armenians in the UK and around the world a happy Navasard!

06/08/2026

04/08/2026

The Armenian National Committee of Jerusalem has strongly condemned the latest attack in the Armenian Quarter, in which six religious Israeli Jews “spat on the sacred entrance of the Cathedral of St James and threw stones at Armenian homes”.

ANC Jerusalem described the incident as “part of a longstanding pattern of harassment and intimidation directed against Jerusalem’s Armenian community” and warned that “the failure to consistently hold perpetrators accountable has allowed such attacks to continue”.

The Committee called upon President Isaac Herzog to “publicly condemn these acts and reaffirm Israel’s commitment to protecting all religious and ethnic communities”.

It also urged the Israeli government and law enforcement authorities to “enforce the law impartially and ensure meaningful accountability for those responsible”.

ANC Jerusalem further called on international human rights organisations and the wider international community to closely monitor these incidents and advocate for the protection of Jerusalem’s Armenian community.

“Protecting the security, dignity, and historic presence of the Armenian community is essential to preserving Jerusalem’s rich religious and cultural heritage.”

02/08/2026

Marriott Bonvoy has removed a tourism package to ethnically cleansed, Azerbaijani-occupied Artsakh following an international campaign by the Armenian National Committee and the global Armenian diaspora. The package, exposed by the Center for Armenian Research and Analysis, offered travellers a 14-hour tour across Artsakh, including the occupied cities of Shushi and Stepanakert, while allowing users to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.

The listing made no mention of Artsakh’s Armenian history, Azerbaijan’s genocidal blockade, the September 2023 ethnic cleansing, or the forced displacement of its indigenous Armenian population. It referred to the region as the “Karabakh zone” and described the Armenian monument “We Are Our Mountains” only as a “notable example of regional stone art and architecture”.

Following the campaign, Marriott reversed course in under 120 hours.

30/07/2026

Read our July 2026 Newsletter here: https://ancuk.org.uk/anc-uk-newsletter-july-2026/

30/07/2026

The officers of the APPG for Armenia wrote to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper regarding the challenges facing displaced Armenians from Artsakh who are living in Armenia. To prevent them from leaving Armenia, their livelihoods must be secured. The officers asked the UK Government to consider increasing its support for Armenia in assisting the Armenians of Artsakh.

The Minister for Europe, Stephen Doughty, responded by outlining the assistance already provided:

"As part of the UK’s bilateral development engagement with Armenia, we have sought to mainstream support to displaced populations in ways that promote social cohesion and deliver benefits for both displaced communities and their host communities. For example, through our recent support for women’s economic empowerment in Tavush, Shirak and Kotayk, we have helped local women, including refugees, to access employment , finance and economic networks while addressing inequality.

Our wider support for civil society and independent media also plays an important role in strengthening resilience, including by building capacities to counter foreign interference and addressing malign narratives including those that seek to exploit displacement or widen social divides. At national and local levels, UK support on inclusive budgeting and decision-making has aimed to promote fair and efficient distribution of resources, including for under-represented and vulnerable groups.

In parallel, the UK has supported refugees from Karabakh through regionally managed HMG programming, including our Building Resilience in the Eastern Neighbourhood (BREN) programme. This work has enabled civil society organisations and women’s rights organisations to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda and to increase human security for women and marginalised groups, including through targeted activities supporting women from Karabakh."

30/07/2026

Marriott Bonvoy Activities (Marriott Bonvoy) is offering tours to the occupied cities of Shushi and Stepanakert in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), allowing travellers to earn Marriott Bonvoy points while visiting a region emptied of its indigenous Armenian population following the 2020-2023 war, genocidal blockade, ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of more than 120,000 Armenians.

The itinerary includes entry into the “Karabakh zone” and a stop at the iconic Armenian monument “We Are Our Mountains”. The tour promotes the “rebirth of a region” while omitting the blockade, forced displacement, destruction of Armenian cultural heritage, and the ongoing illegal detention of Armenian prisoners/hostages.

Human tragedy should never be repackaged as a tourist attraction. Companies should not profit from or help normalise the consequences of ethnic cleansing.

Take action: email [email protected] and urge Marriott Bonvoy Activities to immediately remove these tours from its platform.

29/07/2026

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has stated that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) could not have become involved in the conflict over Karabakh because Armenia had recognized the territory neither as part of its own territory nor as an independent state. Accordi...