It has been a very busy month for ANC UK.
We have started the year with our Chairperson attending a meeting with the Minister of Europe Stephen Doughty.
We have been busy organising our event for the film screening of “ There Was, There Was Not” which will take place next Sunday 8th of February.
ANC gave a talk to Homenetmen Scouts about activism.
The organisation of our annual gala is on its way, so please watch this space for more details.
We have also been able to reach widely and enlarge our followings on our social media, making our organisation the one with the largest following in the community compared to any other British-Armenian organisation.
We appreciate your support and following. |
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| Your support is crucial! The Armenian National Committee of UK works tirelessly to advocate for the Armenian Cause and protect our community’s rights. We need your donations to continue this vital work. Every contribution makes a difference. Please donate today and help us keep our voice strong. |
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1. Screening of “There Was, There Was Not” at the Navasartian Centre
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| ANC-UK invites you to a special screening of the award-winning documentary “There Was, There Was Not” at the Navasartian Centre.
📍 Navasartian Centre, 223 Northfield Ave, London W13 9QU
🗓 Sunday, February 8
🕖 7pm – 9:30pm
The film follows four women from Artsakh, telling the story of their lives before, during, and after the war that led to the erasure of their homeland. Following the screening, we will host a Q&A with Emily Mkrtichian (director) and Siranush Sargsyan. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoA6koTJF4
Attendance is £10pp (cash only, there is an ATM near the Navasartian centre at Sainsbury’s). Half the proceeds will be donated to the Askeran Development Center (Ասկերանի զարգացման կենտրոն).ANC-UK invites you to a special screening of the award-winning documentary “There Was, There Was Not” at the Navasartian Centre.
📍 Navasartian Centre, 223 Northfield Ave, London W13 9QU
🗓 Sunday, February 8
🕖 7pm – 9:30pm
The film follows four women from Artsakh, telling the story of their lives before, during, and after the war that led to the erasure of their homeland. Following the screening, we will host a Q&A with Emily Mkrtichian (director) and Siranush Sargsyan. You can watch the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoA6koTJF4
Attendance is £10pp (cash only, there is an ATM near the Navasartian centre at Sainsbury’s). Half the proceeds will be donated to the Askeran Development Center (Ասկերանի զարգացման կենտրոն). |
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2. Armenian Community in Derby commemorates the Armenian Genocide and Artsakh’s ethnic cleansing
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| On 27 January, Holocaust Memorial Day in Derby, the Armenian community held a blessing and unveiling of an apricot tree and commemorative plaque in remembrance of the Armenian Genocide, the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the ongoing cultural genocide, and all those who gave their lives in defence of the homeland.
The initiative was led by Susanna Petrosyan, with the support of Russell Pollard, and funded through donations from members of the Armenian Women’s Network in the UK. The apricot tree—an enduring symbol of Armenian identity—was planted with the approval of Derby City Council.
The blessing ceremony was led by the Dean of Derby Cathedral, Peter Robinson, with prayers offered for the victims of all genocides. Representatives from the Embassy of Armenia, the Armenian Diocese, local civic leaders, and members of the wider Armenian diaspora were in attendance.
Susanna Petrosyan said that when history’s crimes are not punished, they repeat themselves and added that “Artsakh stands today as a tragic consequence of injustice”. She also spoke about selective justice, double standards, and political interests that allow genocides and ethnic cleansing to occur again and again.
The memorial space will serve as a place of remembrance, education, and reflection for future generations. |
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3. News about the Armenian prisoners and hostages held by Azerbaijan
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| Following sustained international pressure, Azerbaijan has transferred four Armenian prisoners illegally kidnaped from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to Armenia: Gevorg Sujyan, Davit Davtyan, Vigen Euljekjyan, and Vagif Khachatryan. The handover took place at the Hakari Bridge on January 14, and all four are now safely on Armenian territory and being transported to Yerevan.
Dozens of Armenians remain unlawfully detained in Azerbaijan, including prisoners of war and political figures from the Republic of Artsakh and are now being subjected to fake “trials” under fabricated charges with no international observers or journalists allowed to attend them. The Armenian prisoners are subjected to systematic violations of due process, torture and inhumane treatment. Justice is incomplete until all Armenian prisoners are released and allowed to return home. |
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| After his return from five years of illegal detention in Azerbaijan, Gevorg Sujyan spoke publicly about sham trials, psychological abuse, and being imprisoned solely for being Armenian. Captured after the 2020 ceasefire while delivering humanitarian aid, he was sentenced to 15 years on fabricated charges.
“They told me, ‘You have no guilt, but you must stay until inter-state issues are resolved’”, Sujyan said. “If you are holding people, reconciliation cannot exist. You cannot talk about peace while people are still being used as leverage”. “We were in an extremely heavy psychological state,” he said. “The local propaganda and anti-Armenian messaging were overwhelming. They talk about peace, but at the same time they conduct relentless hostility toward us, and that has a serious psychological impact”.
According to official figures, 19 Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) remain illegally detained in Azerbaijani prisons and subjected to sham trials.
Read his complete story here: https://www.civilnet.am/en/news/998729/former-armenian-captive-recounts-sham-trials-and-years-without-legal-defense-in-azerbaijan/ |
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| The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a resolution calling on Azerbaijan to release all Armenians held in the country. The resolution titled “Progress of the Assembly’s monitoring procedure” was adopted in Strasbourg on January 26. |
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| The final ten Armenian residents of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) have been transferred to Armenia, marking the complete absence of Armenians from Artsakh following Azerbaijan’s blockade and ethnic cleansing. Armenia’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Arsen Torosyan confirmed that the individuals formally requested relocation and were transferred accordingly. One Armenian citizen of Russian nationality was also included.
These residents had remained due to age, illness, isolation, or an unwillingness to abandon their homes, despite the serious risks. Their departure comes amid clear warnings of what staying behind meant: just weeks ago, Artsakh resident Karen Avanesyan, who has mental illness, was sentenced by an Azerbaijani court to 16 years in prison on fabricated charges.
With this transfer, Artsakh stands emptied of its indigenous Armenian population. |
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4. News articles and recent developments
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| “Since 2016, Turkish relations with Venezuela have rapidly become a pillar of support for the Caracas government. Initially founded on a semblance of solidarity between Erdogan and Maduro, commercial ties skyrocketed in 2018, reaching over $1.1 billion in trade volume, compared to less than $200 million in 2017”.
“Erdogan’s public support is helpful for Maduro, who faces an ever-deepening legitimacy crisis at home. Yet the less-visible means, ranging from legally gray to explicitly criminal, of Turkish support are the real crux of the Turkey-Venezuela relationship and of the Maduro regime’s survival”.
“Erdogan’s vital role in Maduro’s illicit gold trade is not simply a means for Caracas to shore up cash against its floundering economy. Turkey is an indispensable link in the Maduro regime’s activities on an international scale, far surpassing the damage of sanctions-busting”. |
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| Speaking at the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Dublin, Bishop Hovakim Manukyan reminded Christians that “unity is not something we achieve by human effort. It is a gift already given by God. Our task is not to create it, but to protect it, live it, and make it visible in a world wounded by division”.
Reflecting on the Armenian Church’s history, he warned that today’s challenges are not only political but spiritual, stressing that “the forced displacement from Artsakh, the destruction of ancient churches, and the imprisonment of Armenians are wounds to the Body of Christ.” He added that the Church “does not seek power. She defends dignity. She speaks for the voiceless”.
Calling on Christians worldwide to stand in solidarity, Bishop Hovakim urged prayer for Armenia and for those unjustly imprisoned, reminding the faithful that “their chains are wounds in the Body of Christ,” and concluding: “The world may not need perfect Christians; it needs united Christians”.
Read Bishop Hovakim’s full homily here: https://armenianchurch.org.uk/bishop-hovakim-calls-for-unity-and-justice-at-dublin-ecumenical-service/ |
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| Armenia has been included in the prestigious British travel magazine Wanderlust’s 2026 “Good to Go” list as one of the year’s inspiring destinations for curious and responsible travelers.
“The capital showcases its unique heritage in museums such as the the Matenadaran, a vast repository of over 23,000 manuscripts, and the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial complex, which commemorates the Armenians who perished in the 20th century under the Ottoman Empire”.
“Elsewhere across the country, some 4,000 monasteries (many UNESCO-listed) and fields of stone-carved khachkars (memorial steles) stud gorges, valleys and mountains of impossible beauty. Many of these are linked by the slowly growing Transcaucasian Trail, a hiking route snaking across the region. But you don’t have to travel far to see them. Geghard Monastery – encompassing rock-hewn churches and tombs carved from the cliffs of the Azat River Gorge – lies an hour’s drive east of the capital, while the ancient pilgrimage site of Khor Virap provides spectacular views of Mount Ararat”. |
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| On January 19, 2007, Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist, editor of Agos, and tireless advocate for human and minority rights, was murdered outside his newspaper’s office in Istanbul, Turkey.
Dink was targeted for speaking openly about the Armenian Genocide, challenging denial, and calling for reconciliation between Armenians and Turks. At the time of his death, he was also being prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code for allegedly “denigrating Turkishness,” a law long used to silence critical voices and minority perspectives. |
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Make your donation
Please give today to help our campaigns
To continue our ever growing work in advocacy we urgently need funds to have paid staff. All our efforts are done on voluntary basis. Please donate so we can carry on working for the Armenian Cause and raise the concerns of the British Armenian community.
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You can now donate monthly!
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Why Donate?
The Armenian National Committee of the United Kingdom (ANC-UK) is the largest and most influential British-Armenian political grassroots organisation.
Working in coordination with a network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout Britain and affiliated organisations around the world, ANC-UK actively advances the concerns of the British-Armenian community on a broad range of issues.
The work achieved by ANC-UK is currently on a volunteer basis. However, we are hopeful that in the coming years through the financial support of our community, the ANC-UK chapter will have the necessary funds to open a full-time office employing an Executive Director and a part-time Administrative Assistant.
Setting up an ANC-UK office will allow for our organisation’s goals to be achieved as they have been throughout the diaspora in the United States of America, Canada, Australia and Europe.
As a grassroots organisation, we rely upon you, our community and friends for financial assistance to advance our cause. Your donations support our goal of having a full-time office, to advocate on issues important to all British-Armenians and the Armenian cause.
Thank you for your consideration of our request for your support.
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