Rerooted Archive

Rerooted Archive Rerooted, established in 2017, celebrates Armenian identity worldwide, advocating for just and safe futures.

Through curated digital collections featuring 300+ testimonies, photographs, and documents, we showcase community resilience and valuable tools.

04/28/2026

Rerooted wrote an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court! Read about it here in our press release: https://www.rerooted.org/justice-reports/rerooted-submits-amicus-brief-to-the-us-supreme-court
Listen to the oral argument here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/live.aspx

Transcript: We’re here at the United States Supreme Court where tomorrow the justices will hear arguments for a consequential case for accountability for human rights abuses committed abroad.

This is an important case for all communities who have been victims of atrocity crimes around the world, including Christian communities like ours.

The question before the court is whether US entities or individuals who aid and abet human rights abuses abroad can be held accountable in US courts for knowingly assisting the perpetrators.

In support of the victims in this case, Rerooted wrote an amicus brief on behalf of Christian communities around the world like ours who would be without access to justice if the supreme Court rules against the victims.

You can listen in tomorrow at 10 AM following the link in the caption above.

02/27/2026

“...he spoke so much and was so strong that I thought to myself, I had no right to be weak.” Iskuhi Abrahamyan takes us through her memory of her first patients in medical school, who were a father and son injured by the September 27th, 2020 attack on Artsakh.

Iskuhi tells vivid stories of her family members, how she survived the blockade, and her experiences being a medical figure through the violence. Her testimony gives an important perspective – the role of a medic – on the experience of being an Artsakhtsi throughout the second war and blockade.

{TRANSCRIPT:}
[her first patient in medical school, from Sept. 27th attack] “I remember him, his face, his attitude and everything else until today. It was already on October 1st, if I am not mistaken. And even before I could enter there, I was told that we were going for bandaging. I said okay, is he injured? And they told me yes. I just went outside for some 5 minutes to prepare myself before entering the room. I was standing there and telling myself to calm down and that I didn’t yet know what I would see inside, but it was my profession and I couldn’t get weak at that crucial time. With such chaos in my mind, I entered the room and saw two people laying on the beds: a son and a father, both of them had their veins cut. When I saw that I was in shock. It was the initial shock and this person didn’t want to talk to us, but then he realized that I was also from Artsakh, and he spoke so much and was so strong that I thought to myself, I had no right to be weak.”

02/24/2026

“It was something horrific, experiencing birth in one place and death in another.” Armine Zargaryan from Stepanakert, Artsakh, reflects on motherhood and loss during the violence Artsakhtsis faced between 2020-2023.

Armine’s testimony gives us a mother’s perspective who had to stay strong for the sake of her children, to protect them not only physically, but emotionally as well. Her words are a reminder of the hardship and resilience mothers in Artsakh had to carry.

{TRANSCRIPT:}
[during the second war] “When it was time for me to give birth and I went to the hospital for a C-section, there were many other women from Artsakh giving birth, while the hospital also was taking many injured people with planes. It was something horrific, experiencing birth in one place and death in another. And I remember that during this, I asked my doctor “Are they bringing in injured people, again?” I asked that when I was giving birth to my child but the doctor said no. The doctors were trying hard to distract me, but I kept asking whether they were bringing in injured people again and they kept saying no. Still, I could hear those noises of the planes that kept coming and bringing the injured to the hospital.”

02/20/2026

“...It is an issue of realizing our right to self-determination…so that Artsakh would stay Armenian.” Lianna Petrosyan shares her perspective on the root problem of everything Artsakhtis have had to and continue to endure.

The violence Azerbaijan has continuously enacted on Artsakh runs much deeper than the physical violence, and it is important for the world not lose to sight of that.

-Karabakh -determination

02/17/2026

“They [Azerbaijan] wouldn’t say they wanted to live with us and then kill an ordinary worker from Stepanakert if that were true…after analyzing everything, I understood that they don’t need us to be there.” Gurgen Baghdasaryan explains that his career in research has revealed that Azerbaijan’s true intentions lie in the erasure of Artsakhtsis. While the media can claim Azerbaijan is willing to coexist, the state’s actions show the opposite.

Gurgen tells us about his childhood in post-war Artsakh, about his career, on having to leave Artsakh, and how it felt to be forced to say goodbye. His testimony reminds us to think critically, and lean into the nuance of the world.

{TRANSCRIPT:}
“I will always be grateful to have been born in Artsakh—it’s my greatest blessing. After the war in the ‘90s, there were discussions about relocating to Russia, but my family decided to stay in Stepanakert, where I and my sisters were born. We endured a challenging period during those years; the aftermath of war left our country with little to offer, especially for children. Every time we stepped outside to play, we were cautioned not to touch any round objects on the ground, as they could be explosive remnants of war. Despite the hardships and scarcity, I look back on that post-war childhood as the happiest time of my life.”
“...while working at a German organization, we studied the conflict very deeply and thought that maybe what Azerbaijan wanted was coexistence. But when you’d listen to them and look at their actions you’d see that their state policy wasn’t directed toward that. They wouldn’t say they wanted live with us and then kill an ordinary worker Martik from Stepanakert who was working at a broken pipe a little above Stepanakert. Or shoot the peasants who were working in their fields. And after analyzing everything I understood that they don’t need us to be there.”

02/13/2026

“There were also tombstones covered in moss that were history and one could feel part of that history by touching them.” Srbuhi Vanyan reminisces and captures the distinctiveness of the village of Gandzasar among other villages in Artsakh.

Srbuhi’s testimony delves into the violence her people have faced across different time periods, all while highlighting the resilience and hope of the Artsakhtsi people; the people who kept choosing to approach the violence through returning, rebuilding, and breathing life into their homes even after being destroyed.

{TRANSCRIPT:}
“Gandzasar was very unique. It was a village for the meliks back then and in the past it was a village of craftsmen. For instance, if in other villages agriculture was more advanced, somewhere else it was the animal husbandry, in another place it was farming. In Vank’s case, it was that there were many craftsmen in the village. They were called “dukyan” these small workshops, stores. Of course, I know this from what my husband has been telling me I wasn’t in the village at the time. Beekeeping was also advanced there because the village was situated in the fields, mountains and had the best honey in the world. We went there often when we went to Gandzasar. Everything is different there. The aura it held was different and we would walk around the monastery, enjoy the fresh air and just touch the stones that held Armenian engravings. There were also tombstones covered in moss that were history and one could feel part of that history by touching them. Even with the touch of a hand, this feeling and understanding spreads into you. That’s why we loved being in Gandzasar so often.”

resilience

02/10/2026

“Oh God, I do not know what I should become, maybe an ant, soil, tree, I want to become something and go under this soil, I do not want to leave, I want to stay here.” Maria Sargsyan vividly recalls her thoughts and feelings as she was forced to flee from the soil which had always been her home.

Maria’s testimony walks us through her relationship to Stepanakert and to Artsakh, being a mother through all the loss, and is a vulnerable recollection of her emotions.

{TRANSCRIPT:}
I cannot explain it, I truly did not want to draw away from the soil, I could not detach away from the soil. I said, ‘Oh God, I do not know what I should become, maybe an ant, soil, tree, I want to become something and go under this soil, I do not want to leave, I want to stay here. Let them go, let whatever is going to happen, happen’. I am being honest, I did not even think about my family or else, I said, ‘I am staying here, I only want that’. I only wanted that at that moment.” “I would always tell people to not ask me those questions [about my feelings] because in any case, there is no such word and no such emotion, and no such explanation that I could use to explain my own state and my own situation. There is not, there is just not anything like that, I cannot find the proper words to be able to convey my emotions and my feelings to you.

02/06/2026

“But I insisted he goes and buys it, recognizing that we might soon have to eat what was once food for pigs.” Armine Hayrapetyan recalls the beginning period of the blockade when Artsakhtis had to begin adapting to the harsh conditions Azerbaijan had perpetrated.

Armine’s powerful testimony gives us insight into how resilient Artsakhtis are and have had to be throughout all the violence and torture they have had to face.

{TRANSCRIPT:}
[About the blockade began…] “There was no nation-wide consciousness probably because everyone had strong faith in the Russians - I don’t know. Then after those villages were handed to them and our side of the road still wasn’t ready, the picture became clear - tough days were ahead of us. And as the blockade happened, I knew it’s only going to get worse, I didn’t believe it could get better. But I believed that the blockade would bring us together, purging us of our worst traits - as it did in the nineties, and we’d become stronger because of the blockade. That’s why the blockade wasn’t too heavy on us. We started preparing early on - cultivating land, my brother acquired livestock. By May-June I remember we started stocking up flour - black flour. Because at that time the bran wasn’t separated from the flour at all. But I told him to go and get the flour from Sarushen. He said “It’s very black, Armine! It’s almost something to give to a pig”. But I insisted he goes and buys it, recognizing that we might soon have to eat what was once food for pigs.”

01/27/2026

“Victory seemed not just a hope but an inevitable outcome, with none of us contemplating defeat.” Armine Hayrapetyan highlights her memories of childhood during the First Artsakh war, which was carried out through the collective strength and spirit of Artsakhtsis.

Armine’s testimony covers her family history, accounts of war and blockade, as well as her political and societal views surrounding Artsakh nowadays. Stay tuned for part 2, featuring another clip from her interview examining the blockade.

{TRANSCRIPT:}
“I attended the school in our village. Growing up during wartime was a unique experience. Despite the turmoil and occasional setbacks, there was a strange sense of determination among us. While there were still bad days and irreplaceable losses, the collective resolve to prevail was strong. Victory seemed not just a hope but an inevitable outcome, with none of us contemplating defeat. Gradually, it all became normal. We accepted the casualties, losses, and victories that followed one another. Our village, visible from Shushi, also endured bombings during that time. We were watching the military operations in Shushi from our village. Despite the scarcity of weapons, there were many boys in our village’s squad. I remember we stayed up all night, watching the military operations unfold, trying to pinpoint where the smoke was coming from. We had binoculars, but we were too far away to see much. Still, we were eager to catch a glimpse of our boys, even if it was from a distance. It seems naive looking back, but we were desperate to see where they were. When the boys returned after the liberation of Shushi, they brought sweets and candy from the city for the children of the village. It was something we hadn’t had for a long time. Many children didn’t even know what candy was.”

01/23/2026

“Wherever Armenians are, they must advocate for our world, our Armenia, our Artsakh, and never forget.” Gayane Hayrapetyan reminds us of the significant need for Armenian voices to be uplifted and echoed throughout future generations as a means of resistance to the erasure Armenians face.

Gayane’s testimony takes us through detailed memories and reflections of growing up in Artsakh and of war. Let us be empowered by Gayane’s words and hold them with us as we begin this new year.

{TRANSCRIPT:}

“Our people seem a bit disoriented now, veering off course. I hope they find their way back to the right path and prevent the further destruction of our country. There’s almost nothing left of it. Perhaps not us, but I hope our children will one day restore everything we lost. It’s distressing. The history of the Armenian people has been omitted from school curriculums. Now, only the history of Armenia is taught. We might be erased from history too, and future generations might not know what their ancestors endured. They might think it’s all fiction. We must do everything in our power... Our khachkars (cross-stones) are being systematically destroyed. We must photograph every detail, every stone, every church, and protect them. We must raise our voices on all platforms, whether in France, America, or India. Wherever Armenians are, they must advocate for our world, our Armenia, our Artsakh, and never forget.”

-Karabakh

Today we finally published our public report detailing the persecution and forced deportation of the Armenians of Nagorn...
05/08/2025

Today we finally published our public report detailing the persecution and forced deportation of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh. Years in the making, this legal report analyzes firsthand testimonies we (Rerooted) and other non-profits collected on the ground in the midst of the ethnic cleansing, as well as the rhetoric and actions of Azerbaijani state actors, assessed against international criminal law jurisprudence, to confidently allege that the crimes against humanity of deportation and persecution were committed by Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh. There are many passages and sections we’d love to highlight for you as particularly persuasive, but for the sake of the length of this post, I’ll refrain. The entire report is powerful and is a testament to the resiliency of those who shared, and continue to share, their experiences with us in the hopes of a distant chance at justice. If they still have hope, we certainly must too. Read the report here: https://www.rerooted.org/justice-reports/no-choice-but-to-flee

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