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 from February, 2009
Armenia: 1 March Anniversary
Dispatches from Armenia comments on tomorrow's first anniversary of the post-election clashes which left eight opposition supporters and two policemen dead. The blog calls the incident a slaughter at the hands of the authorities.
Azerbaijan: Sumgait
The Armenian Observer posts video from 21 years ago showing rioters in Sumgait during an anti-Armenian pogrom which left 26 ethnic Armenians and 6 Azeris dead.
Armenia: No dollars in Yerevan
Life in the Armenian Diaspora reports that panicked citizens have been converting their local currency so frantically that there are now no dollars to be found at exchanges in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The blog blames the artificial manipulation of the Armenian dram to benefit government-linked importers.
Armenia: 1 March post-election clash anniversary
As the opposition prepares to mark the 1 March post-election clashes which left at least 10 dead, The Armenian Observer says tensions are increasing in the capital, Yerevan. Meanwhile, writing for the Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor comments on the release of two damning human rights reports...
Armenia: Dollar Panic
The Armenian Observer reports that many in the country are rushing to change their local currency into dollars and limits have been introduced at currency exchanges.
Azerbaijan: Thoughts on Khodjali
Following on from an earlier post, Sheki, Azerbaijan posts a photograph of a monument dedicated to those killed in the massacre of civilians in Khodjali, an Azeri inhabited town, during the Karabakh war. The blog notes that carnations have now become synonymous with grief and mourning in Azerbaijan and hopes...
Azerbaijan: Khodjali Anniversary
Sheki, Azerbaijan marks the 17th anniversary of the massacre of hundreds of civilians in the Azeri-inhabited town of Khodjali during the conflict with Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. The blog says that such victims can be found in every war zone where people “become toys in hands...
Georgia: Punk Rock
Georgian Live Music says the country's second largest city of Kutaisi was synonymous with rock and punk bands in the 1990s. The blog posts information and photos of some of them.
Armenia: Nationalist agitation in Georgia
Writing on the new Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus Regional Editor reports on plans to hold a demonstration outside the Georgian Embassy in Yerevan, Armenia. The blog says that local nationalists with the possible backing of Moscow might be seeking to destabilize Armenia's northern neighbor.
Azerbaijan: Historic district under threat
In Mutatione Fortitudo decries the destruction of an historic part of the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to make way for construction of a new boulevard.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: A Girl's War
Unzipped: Gay Armenia posts details of a theatrical play performed in 2001 set against the backdrop of the Nagorno Karabakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The blog says the play was taboo-breaking because in it an Armenian and Azerbaijani fall in love and nationalist sentiments which define the rhetoric in...
Azerbaijan: News site closed down?
Following a recent ban on foreign broadcasts in the country, the content of a leading news site considered more independent than most in Azerbaijan was replaced on Thursday with a message informing readers that the “project is closed.” Although the authorities denied any involvement with the site's disappearance, bloggers were not convinced.
Georgia-Russia: Information War
Writing for the Frontline Club blog, Al Jazeera's Matthew Collin comments on a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists which criticizes both Russia and Georgia of exerting control over the media. In particular, the blog says that coverage of the August war over South Ossetia in both countries...
Georgia: Eurovision Controversy
Following its recent war with Russia, Georgia had initially planned to boycott this year's Eurovision Song Contest to be staged in Moscow, but later changed its mind. However, if reversing that decision might have initially seemed an attempt to repair damaged relations, yesterday's national song contest proved otherwise. Eurovision bloggers react.
Georgia: Eurovision Pop Protest
Writing for the new Frontline Club blog, Matthew Collin says that Georgia might use this this year's Eurovision international song contest to be held in Moscow to poke fun at its foe in last year's short lived August war with an entry entitled “Put-In Disco.”
Armenia: Obama and the Genocide
Onnik Krikorian in Armenia wonders whether U.S. President Barack Obama will fulfill his campaign promise to recognize the 1915 massacre and deportation of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire as genocide. While many believe that he will, the blog examines the risk in doing so of damaging efforts to normalize...
Armenia: Repressive Religious Laws
Writing for the new Frontline Club blog, Global Voices Online's Caucasus Editor examines three new controversial pieces of legislation which raise serious concerns about religious freedom in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenia: Be Free
Unzipped: Gay Armenia says that while the voice and music of local singer Shprot might be nothing remarkable, her performances are. Challenging traditional notions of gender, sexuality, religion and nationality in the South Caucasus country, the blog says that the controversial singer's message is one that all Armenians should take...
Armenia: St. Sargis Day
Although the world celebrated St. Valentine's Day yesterday, many Armenians instead prefer to celebrate St. Sargis Day. Writing on her DOTCOM blog, 14-year-old Diana details the tradition observed by young people who eat salty bread before going to sleep in the hope that their true love will be identified in...
Armenia: Social Problems
Writing on her new Dotcom blog, 15-year-old Arpen discusses some of the social problems affecting Armenia today. In particular, the young blogger singles out unemployment, violence and pollution.
Azerbaijan: GONGOs
Blogs dealing with democracy across the globe continue to discuss last week's controversial visit to Azerbaijan by Obama campaign manager David Plouffe. Democracy Digest is the latest and says that the embarrassing event at least exposed the existence of government-organized NGOs (GONGOs) in authoritarian countries. The blog also says that...
