Onnik Krikorian is a British journalist and photojournalist who has been resident in the Republic of Armenia since 1998. He also works extensively in Georgia and until moving to Armenia worked on the Kurds in Turkey since 1997 and the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh since 1994.
He has worked contracts at The Bristol Evening Post, The Independent, and The Economist in the U.K., and his articles and photographs have been published by The Los Angeles Times, New Internationalist, The Scotsman, Transitions Online, Middle East Insight, Oneworld.net, EurasiaNet, The Institute for War & Peace Reporting, New York University Press, UNICEF, and Amnesty International, among others.
Krikorian also regularly fixes for Al Jazeera English, the BBC and The Wall Street Journal. He maintains a blog from Armenia and the South Caucasus at http://blog.oneworld.am and also posts for the London-based Frontline Club at http://frontlineclub.com/blogs/onnikkrikorian.
Last year he started a personal project using new and social media in order to assist in Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict resolution at http://www.oneworld.am/diversity/. He also regularly presents on this topic at conferences worldwide. His personal web site is at http://www.oneworld.am.
Latest posts by Onnik Krikorian
Azerbaijan: Youth Activist Believed Arrested
Emin Milli's Blog comments on the apparent disappearance of a youth activist in Azerbaijan. The blog says it believes Zaur Gurbanly's believed arrest was because of anti-presidential leaflets that were also confiscated.
Armenia: Government Pressure on NGO
The Washington Post blog features an entry by David Ignatius detailing pressure on an Armenian NGO particularly active online. Founded by former Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanian, government pressure on Civilitas is believed linked to his involvement with a former party of power now actively challenging the incumbent president...
Armenia: A New Response to Hate Crime?
Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on news of an attack on transsexual sex workers in Yerevan, the Armenian capital. The blog notes that not only did the victims report the crime, but that the police formerly accepted it as such while also using ‘acceptable non-discriminatory wording.’ The blog implies that if...
Georgia: A Caucasian Abu Ghraib
Eva Anderson, a Senior Analyst with Transparency International, examines the recent prison abuse video scandal in Georgia as the country prepares for crucial 1 October Parliamentary Elections. The blog post in particular looks at the penitentiary system and the urgent need for reform.
Armenia: Reflections on Homosexuality and Fascism
Unzipped: Gay Armenia reflects on Brotherhood, a 2009 Danish film about homosexuality and fascism, in the context of the neo-Nazi firebombing of D.I.Y., a gay friendly bar in Yerevan, earlier this year.
Georgia: ‘Broom Revolution’ as Elections Approach
Thousands have protested in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, after videos showing physical abuse in the country's prison system aired on some television stations and were shared on YouTube.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Hatred in the Caucasus
Murad Gassanly, an activist in exile, comments on the case of Ramil Safarov, a soldier convicted of murder in Hungary and recently pardoned in Azerbaijan, by examining how and why ethnic hatred has come to define society in both Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan: Political Forces United on Pardoned Axe Murderer
In Mutatione Fortitudo says that the two main opposition parties in Azerbaijan have united behind the government in its criticism of a European Parliament ruling condemning the 31 August pardon, release, and promotion of an Azerbaijani soldier who axed to death a sleeping Armenian counterpart on a NATO Partnership for...
Armenia: Homophobic Editor On Air
Unzipped: Gay Armenia says that it is glad the pro-opposition A1+ TV, a station deprived of its broadcasting frequency in 2002, now has a program aired on another channel. However, the blog also notes that it is disappointed to see that a homophobic newspaper editor is involved in its production.
Georgia: Brutality Behind Bars
A video showing prisoners being beaten up in one of Georgia's modernized prisons has been uploaded onto YouTube. Other videos appears to show more graphic incidents with one comment on Facebook hoping that they ‘provide impetus to serious structural reforms’ and that ‘prison personnel are held responsible.’
Armenia: Chess Olympiad Triumph
The Armenian Observer posts photographs of celebrations following Armenia's victory in the 2012 Chess Olympiad held in Istanbul, Turkey.
Armenia: A New Transit Route?
The Armenian Observer reports that construction has started on upgrading Armenia's highways. Effectively connecting Iran with Georgia via Armenia more efficiently, the blog notes the Armenian government's hopes that the road will make the landlocked country an important transit route between Europe and Asia.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: International Day of Peace
Following an increase in tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, locked as they are in a bitter stalemate over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh, Mountains of Peace looks ahead to the International Day of Peace. […] enough is enough. It is time to make a stance, time to speak out,...
Azerbaijan: Nationalism, Extradition, and an Axe Murderer
Scary Azeri comments on the extradition to Azerbaijan of Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani soldier who murdered an Armenian counterpart on a NATO training course in Budapest, Hungary, with an axe. The blogger criticizes the presidential pardon and honoring of the killer in her native Azerbaijan while also abhorring the celebration...
Georgia: War Photography
Just before today's fourth anniversary of the August 2008 Russia-Georgia War, Georgian Photographers features a post accompanied by photos from George Tsagareli on documenting conflict in the Caucasus.
Armenia: Conan O'Brien's Yerevan T-Shirt
Ianyan curates responses to the appearance on air of U.S. TV host Conan O'Brien wearing a T-Shirt sporting the name of Armenia's capital, Yerevan. The Storify post also details how the garment came into the television celebrity's possession.
Georgia: Civil Society Mobilizes After Armenia-Azerbaijan Clashes
With tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the rise, civil society activists and journalists from both countries last month convened in a small ethnic Azeri village in neighboring Georgia.
Armenia: Activism or Slacktivism?
Contributing a guest post to The Armenian Observer, local blogger Uzogh criticizes Facebook activism in Armenia, considering it more akin to slacktivism engaged in by a minority and not backed up by concrete actions in the offline world. A small discussion follows in the comments section.
Georgia: Philanthropic Blogging
Net Prophet interviews Givi Avaliani, a Georgian blogger [GE] focusing on online campaigning and charitable activities, and who says that human rights protection and highlighting the poverty around him are his main inspirations. The Transitions Online blog says that more than 120,000 people have visited Avaliani's blog in the past...
Caucasus: Olympic Women
Ianyan introduces its readers to the female athletes representing the three countries of the South Caucasus in the Olympic games in London.
Syria: Refuge in Armenia
With the situation in Syria deteriorating rapidly, Cilicia comments on the plight of the country's 100,000 strong ethnic Armenian population. The blog says that many are already applying for Armenian citizenship, but more could be done to offer them refuge in Armenia.
