An Armenian appeals court has upheld a prosecutor’s appeal against a lower court ruling that reclassified a suspect’s conduct from high treason to abuse of official powers, sending the criminal case back to a first-instance court for a new examination.

The court made the decision on September 22, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The suspect had originally been charged under Article 418, Part 1 (treason) of Armenia’s Criminal Code with providing, in exchange for money, information threatening Armenia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and external security to a representative of a foreign intelligence agency.

However, in its April 20, 2026 verdict, the Yerevan Court of First Instance of General Jurisdiction reclassified the suspect’s conduct under Article 441, Part 1 of the Criminal Code. The provision concerns an official using their powers or influence arising from their position to the detriment of state or official interests, failing to perform or improperly performing their official duties, or carrying out an act outside or beyond the scope of their powers, where this causes significant harm to the rights, freedoms or legitimate interests of a person or organization, or to the legitimate interests of society or the state.

The first-instance court sentenced the suspect to two years in prison.

The prosecutor appealed the judgment.

The Court of Appeal upheld the prosecutor’s appeal on September 22 and sent the criminal case back to the first-instance court for a new examination.

Armenia’s police have detained two suspected mob bosses described as “thieves in law” after a family dispute allegedly escalated into a confrontation and an attempted act of retaliation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.

A 58-year-old Gyumri resident described as a so-called “thief in law,” the highest rank in the criminal underworld’s hierarchy, which has been outlawed in Armenia, allegedly asked another “thief in law,” a 56-year-old Oshakan resident, to punish his former son-in-law after the latter had argued with his daughter.

The 56-year-old and a group of people allegedly assaulted the former son-in-law in Yerevan, prompting him to seek retaliation. However, he failed to carry out the alleged crime, the Ministry said.

The two alleged “thieves in law” were detained and presented to the investigative body. Measures are being taken to identify the other participants in the incidents. The investigation is ongoing.

Criminal subculture—a hierarchy-based code of conduct among criminal groups, originally believed to have emerged in Soviet prisons and associated with the self-styled “thieves-in-law”—has been outlawed in Armenia since the passage of anti-mafia legislation in 2020.

Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan held a meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami.

According to a readout, Speaker Rubinyan and Ambassador Shirgholami discussed issues related to the development of bilateral relations between Armenia and Iran and the continued deepening of cooperation in various fields.

They also discussed opportunities to expand parliamentary ties, as well as a number of regional issues.

Armenian National Assembly President Ruben Rubinyan received UN Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili on September 23.

According to a statement from the National Assembly, the meeting focused on the productive cooperation established between the Armenian parliament and UNDP, as well as opportunities to expand it further.

Flu vaccines are now available at all primary healthcare clinics in Armenia, and vaccination is free for both Armenian and foreign citizens. 

People are free to choose any polyclinic for vaccination, and several mobile vaccination centers will also operate in Yerevan.

Zaruhi Grigoryan, Deputy Director General of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health, said that 225,000 doses of the vaccine have been procured this year.

“Year after year, we see more citizens seeking vaccination. We are increasing the number of vaccines in response to demand. It is noticeable that our citizens have become more informed, and in addition to people in risk groups, many others are also seeking vaccination. I should say that our citizens are free to choose a polyclinic; they can go to any location and get vaccinated,” Grigoryan said.

To make vaccination more accessible, mobile centers will also operate at several locations in Yerevan, specifically in the Vernissage area, Republic Square and near the statue of Gai. The mobile centers will operate from 10:00 to 16:00. Vaccination is free, and both Armenian citizens and foreign citizens can receive it.

Svetlana Grigoryan, Head of the Immunization Department of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health, said that vaccination is particularly important for people in risk groups.

“The risk groups are people over the age of 65, pregnant women, children aged six months to five years, both beneficiaries and staff at social care centers, healthcare workers, and military personnel. Influenza manifests itself in a more severe form in these groups. Vaccination specifically prevents severe forms of the disease and deaths,” Svetlana Grigoryan said.

She said that vaccination is also available to people with mobility problems. In such cases, they should contact their assigned medical center, which will arrange for vaccination at the person’s place of residence.

The epidemiological situation is currently calm. Experience shows that activity usually begins in early October, while influenza circulates most widely in November and December. Therefore, specialists urge people to get vaccinated during this period and protect themselves ahead of the seasonal increase in activity.

Iran’s position is that any process to establish peace in the South Caucasus must be based on the existing status quo, and that geopolitical changes are unacceptable to Tehran, Iran’s Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami has said.

“Iran’s principled position is to preserve the existing status quo in the South Caucasus, both in terms of territory and the region’s geopolitics,” he said at the 2026 APRI Forum.

“The second point is that we need a new balance in the region, because the discourse about peace is good and useful, but it is not sufficient in itself to establish and maintain peace in the region. If we truly seek real and lasting peace, there needs to be a real balance of power, particularly between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. This is extremely important and significant. And this is precisely what Iran seeks to establish in this region—a new balance of power, which is the real guarantee of lasting and stable peace in the region,” Shirgholami said.

In his view, if there is no balance, the situation will be fragile. According to the envoy, even if the intentions of the parties are positive, that is not enough to establish peace and maintain it.

“We believe that regional dynamics and formats are more stable and effective for lasting peace, stability and development in the region. Of course, the legitimate interests of other powers that are not located in this region are acceptable and understandable. They have certain legitimate interests, and that is quite natural, but at the same time, if there is an attempt to turn this region into an arena of negative competition or conflict, it will not have a positive impact on the region. In the long term, it will have serious consequences, undermining the stability and development of this very region,” the ambassador noted.

Shirgholami assured that the Iranian side supports ideas aimed at connectivity.

“We have welcomed Prime Minister Pashinyan’s idea and program of the ‘Crossroads of Peace.’ We believe that this crossroads has different directions—east-west, west-east, north-south, south-north. And if there are programs aimed at connectivity, then every opportunity and potential must be used and put into practice,” the diplomat said.

Speaking about the TRIPP project, Shirgholami said that if it meets certain preconditions, it will be positive for development and peace in the region.

“At the same time, we believe that Armenia also has other great potential to serve as a connecting link between the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean and the wider region, and that potential should also be used and put into practice. Therefore, we support the ideas of the ‘Crossroads of Peace’ and connectivity, provided that certain conditions or preconditions are met,” the Ambassador said.

Addressing Armenia-Iran relations, Shirgholami noted that in this context it is very important for the two important traditional partners to be able to navigate the new directions of Armenia’s foreign policy. According to him, this concerns Armenia’s foreign policy oriented toward the West and its rapprochement with the European Union and the United States, while at the same time maintaining the same level of partnership between Iran and Armenia.

“This is the most important challenge, but there are also many opportunities within it. We believe that, at least with the European Union and European countries, we have many commonalities related to approaches to maintaining peace and stability in this region, as well as between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia. Although at first glance it seems that this is a challenge for Iran and Armenia that must be overcome, at the same time, there are also many opportunities. We believe that based on the deep mutual trust between the leaders of Armenia and Iran, we will be able to overcome this challenge and not only maintain the current level of cooperation but also raise it,” Shirgholami said.

He said that the Iranian side is thinking and planning toward establishing a strategic partnership with Armenia and putting that partnership on an institutional footing in the future.

“We understand Armenia’s geopolitical situation. Armenia, being landlocked, has historically faced many problems and obstacles in terms of being open to the world, and it needs multilayered or different mechanisms and routes to establish connections with the world and different regions, as well as to fully utilize Armenia’s role as a connecting hub. Therefore, we understand the situation and this strategic vision of Armenian foreign policy. As for the TRIPP project, based on Iran’s fundamental approach regarding the need to preserve the status quo in the region, which I already mentioned, we believe that during the implementation of this project, no harm should be done to the territorial integrity and national sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia,” the diplomat said.

He added that the Republic of Azerbaijan and its leaders continue to speak very clearly and openly about the so-called “Zangezur corridor,” while the Iranian side, according to the ambassador, is equally clear in expressing the position that any geopolitical change or any action that would harm the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia cannot be tolerated.

“This is the first precondition. Second, a fundamentally important point is that no military presence of the United States can be tolerated in the region. This approach is based on the fact that the United States’ hostile attitude toward the Iranian people has been repeatedly proven, including recently. Therefore, based on these two preconditions—the circumstances that no harm should be done to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia and that there should be no U.S. security or military presence within the country’s borders—we have no reason to oppose this project if it positively contributes to the development and well-being of the Armenian people,” the Ambassador of Iran said.

The 2026 APRI Forum, titled “Sketching the Architecture of Change” and organized by the APRI Armenia think tank, has kicked off in Yerevan, bringing together politicians, diplomats, policymakers, and representatives of the business community and civil society.

During the three-day event, issues of paramount importance to Armenia will be discussed, including regional security and foreign policy, connectivity, economic security, digital sovereignty, and the development of institutional capacities.

In her opening remarks, Anahide Pilibossian, Vice President for Strategy and Development at APRI Armenia, noted that the forum’s title has become a guiding principle for all their activities.

“What remains for us is to best outline the architecture of change and strive to shape its most sensible directions, while at the same time accepting and assessing the situation in which we find ourselves at a given moment. Thus, we will be stronger, better prepared and more resilient in the face of any future development. We have developed a program that we present with great enthusiasm and pride, hoping that you will leave the conference with clearer ideas and preliminary outlines of actions about what we can do as individuals, as an institution, and even as a nation, to ensure safe and sustainable progress. At the same time, we hope that throughout the successive sessions of the conference, participants will establish strong and lasting connections,” Pilibossian said.

She added that today everyone can add one link to the chain of progress and together reach a new milestone.

“Perfection does not exist; there is only a process of creation. Without work, there is no progress. We often have to transform reality by implementing a one-hundred-percent improvement, which leads to comprehensive change for the better. When everything falls apart, we put the pieces back together by applying the principle of ‘kintsugi.’ It is Japanese broken pottery that is restored with gold, and here before you is the Armenian interpretation of ‘kintsugi.’ Giving up is not part of our nature; if it were, we would have disappeared long ago. We create values that withstand the test of time, overcoming eras of instability,” Pilibossian noted.

According to her, the staff of APRI Armenia are inspired by the rules that the world’s leading think tanks have used to shape their dialogues. APRI Armenia strives to continuously make progress and seek new solutions to the problems of the day.

The current situation is very important and pivotal for Iran in terms of initiating a process to establish new security arrangements in the region. The Iranian side is in contact with its neighbors and is discussing with them very directly the issue of future security mechanisms in the region, Alireza Khoda Gholipour, Director General of Iran’s Institute for Political and International Studies, said at the 2026 APRI Forum in Yerevan. 

“Following the illegal attack and aggression against Iran, which has been ongoing for 16 months, we have tried not only to defend ourselves but also to prevent similar acts of aggression against Iran from recurring in the future. However, overall, this aggression against Iran has had not only a destructive but also a transformative and instructive significance for Iran, the region, and the United States. Today, many perceptions and understandings regarding Iran and the region are changing. For our neighbors, this has been an instructive lesson in that it is impossible to entrust one’s own security to external powers; greater attention must be paid to regional agency and the role of regional actors,” Gholipour said.

According to him, the Iranian side is convinced that the “moment of truth” has arrived in the region, and therefore everyone must take responsibility for everything they have done in the region over the decades.

“We believe that the present moment can serve as a starting point for regional actors to assume a constructive role. Iran is very active in the South Caucasus and, thanks to its ‘red lines’ policy, managed to prevent a number of destructive projects in the region, particularly the implementation of the so-called ‘Zangezur corridor.’ In fact, we have always viewed the South Caucasus and our neighbors in the northern part of Iran as a very important direction and attached great importance to our relations,” Gholipour said.

In his view, there has been a certain misunderstanding for years that the South Caucasus is some kind of intermediate area within the region, which, he argued, is not the right approach.

“Now everyone realizes that it is very important for Iran, and the significance of bilateral relations with the South Caucasus, as well as with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, has increased for Iranian decision-makers and policymakers. This does not mean that this direction was not important for Iran before, but its importance has increased following the latest aggression against Iran. This means that Iran is now paying greater attention to Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Moreover, this is not solely due to the latest aggression against Iran: the process began several years ago, following the Second Karabakh War and its consequences. This concerns, in particular, the decline in Russia’s influence due to its involvement in Ukraine, the increase in Türkiye’s influence, as well as greater Western involvement in the region. Therefore, it is very important to understand all these regional developments in order to better understand Iran’s policy toward the South Caucasus,” Gholipour concluded.

The 2026 APRI Forum, which kicked off in Yerevan on September 23, is titled “Sketching the Architecture of Change.” The forum brings together politicians, diplomats, and representatives of the business community and civil society from Armenia and abroad.

Armenian-Russian relations are in the process of transitioning to a new model, former Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council Andrey Kortunov told Armenpress, adding that it is still too early to say what form this model will take.

However, he added, it is clear that a page has been turned in bilateral relations, and the sides are trying to start a new chapter in those relations.

Kortunov is among the participants of the 2026 APRI Forum in Yerevan.

“The process is difficult and painful for both Yerevan and Moscow. Of course, we want to hope that the process will not lead to a disruption of the traditional good-neighborly relations not only between the two countries, but also between the two societies. Russian President Vladimir Putin has already hinted at a civilized divorce. Armenia is now changing its strategic priorities and opening up to other countries and regions, choosing the European perspective. This undoubtedly creates problems in relations between Moscow and Yerevan, as well as in Armenia’s interaction with the structures of which Armenia is still a member,” Kortunov said.

In his view, something will most likely need to change here, and the relationship will need to be transformed in some way, because, according to the expert, the relationship is becoming more pragmatic, focused on business and economic ties. At the same time, the fact that there are people in Armenia with pro-Russian sentiments and that Russia has a fairly large and influential Armenian diaspora gives grounds to say that Armenia is perceived in Russia as a country with historical, cultural and religious commonalities.

“Certainly, one can talk at length about the factors that bring the two countries and peoples closer together and hope that all this will be preserved to some extent and influence the development of future relations. Political strategies and priorities can change. Around two decades ago, our partners in Tbilisi spoke about Georgia’s European perspective, whereas today something has changed in their outlook. Perhaps certain expectations have not been met, but that does not mean that Georgia is abandoning its European path. It is simply that the aforementioned perspective is no longer perceived in the same way as it was 20 years ago. Perhaps changes will also take place in Armenia that will allow Armenian society to assess European integration more realistically, especially since this process will most likely be quite lengthy,” Kortunov elaborated.

He said he believes that, on the other hand, Russia will remain a partner and, if circumstances develop favorably, also a strategic partner. According to the expert, much will depend on what Russia, in turn, offers Armenia in the next stage of cooperation, how much the scope of economic interaction expands, how small and medium-sized businesses become involved in this process, and what kind of cooperation there will be in IT and other sectors.

Speaking about the TRIPP project, Kortunov noted that, as history has shown, many ideas put forward by US President Donald Trump’s administration, which may be quite good and forward-looking, are not fully implemented in the form of concrete projects.

“We still do not know much about TRIPP; we do not know how it will develop and be implemented. Yes, agreements have been signed, but many details still need to be clarified. We hope that these changing transport and logistics infrastructures in the South Caucasus will take into account the interests of all three South Caucasus states, as well as those of their immediate neighbors—Russia, Iran and Türkiye. It may not be easy to reconcile the interests of all sides, but nevertheless, that is what we should strive for,” Kortunov concluded.