Liana Aghajanian is a journalist who has written for EurasiaNet, Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, New America Media and Spot.us, a non-profit project for the “Center for Media Change,” funded by the Knight Foundation.
Living in the South Caucasus for the next few months, she has extensively covered immigrant communities while based in Los Angeles.
She is founder of Ianyan Magazine, an indepednent online publication with focus on the South Caucasus and occasionally the greater Middle East, where she reported on human rights issues and Armenian, Azeri and Turkish relations, receiving recognition from Amnesty International and local media in Armenia, as well as Global Voices.
Latest posts by Liana Aghajanian
Armenia: Students Pen Letter to Hungarian Prime Minister
The blog, An Armenian Journalist Notes, posts about a letter from a collective group of Armenian students addressing their frustration and disappointment about recent events involving the extradition of Ramil...
Armenia: Ties With Hungary Severed Over Prisoner Row
Following Hungary's release of an Azerbaijani army officer convicted of murdering an Armenian soldier, Armenia has severed diplomatic ties with the Central European country.
Chessmaster Gary Kasparov's Arrest During Pussy Riot Trial
Perhaps the most surprising thing to emerge out of the media saturated Pussy Riot trials other than the trial itself, was the attendance and subsequent arrest of the former Chessmaster of Caucasian descent, Gary Kasparov, at the reading of the verdict on August 17, which saw the three women accused of illegally performing a "punk prayer" in a church receive a two year prison term.
Azerbaijan: An Alternative Energy Partner for Europe?
Baku Views, a blog on economic commentary and opinion from Azerbaijan reflects on a recent NY Times column by Paul Krugman on Europe's dependence on Russian energy, noting that with...
Georgia: Ancient Fortress Discovered in Tbilisi
During construction to one of Tbilisi's main streets, parts of a 5th century fortress used to defend the city were unearthed. The Young Georgians has a series of photos of...
Armenia: Reflections on National Psyche
Life in the Caucasus, a blog by Peace Corps volunteer John, posts reflections on Armenia as his service comes to an end after two years. The blog summarizes a few...
The South Caucasus at the 2012 Olympics
This post is part of our special coverage of the London 2012 Olympics. The three South Caucasus countries have been participating independently in the Olympics since 1996, and they each...
Armenia: Human Rights Record Scrutinized at UN
Armenia's human rights record was scrutinized by the United Nations Human Rights Committee earlier this week in Geneva, 14 years after its last consideration before the committee in 1998.
Armenia: Backhanded Victory for Environmental Activists
Just days before Armenia's crucial parliamentary elections, environmental activists have scored yet another victory in their campaign to save one of the last remaining green spaces in the country's capital, Yerevan.
Armenia: Activists #Occupy Yerevan Park
Green spaces in Armenia continue to dwindle at an alarming rate, but a small yet dedicated group of environmental activists has also grown. Now, in order to prevent further damage, they are attempting to occupy a Yerevan park.
Armenia: Activists Demand Controversial Governor's Dismissal
Surik Khachatryan, the governor of Armenia's southern Syunik province, has been making headlines in the last month for all the wrong reasons. No stranger to controversy, activists are now demanding his dismissal.
Armenia: Newfound Support for Domestic Violence Victims
Domestic violence has long been a taboo subject in Armenian circles. But when 20-year-old mother Zaruhi Petrosyan was brutally beaten to death by her husband and mother-in-law last October, the case mobilized individuals and organizations in confronting this issue which affects over a quarter of women in Armenia.
Armenia: Uproar Over Head of Church's Remarks
Angered by remarks made by the the country's spiritual leader about the upkeep of churches and monasteries, some Armenians are using social networking sites such as Facebook to call for his resignation.
Armenia: Corruption
With Armenia ranking 123 out of 178 countries in a 2010 Transparency International report measuring corruption, Life in the Caucasus, a blog maintained by a Peace Corps volunteer in the...
Armenia: Animal Activists Demand End to Stray Dog Killings
In the last few days animal activists are making unprecedented use of social media in the South Caucasus by demanding that the inhumane killing of stray dogs end by flooding the Yerevan mayor's Facebook page with requests and appeals.
Armenia: LGBT Persons Still Facing Discrimination
LGBT persons are still facing discrimination in Armenia and much of the rest of the South Caucasus, a new groundbreaking two-year study by the Council of Europe (CoE) has found.
