HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Genocide Commemoration Committee will observe the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide on Saturday April 26, at 10:30 a.m. at the historic Connecticut House Chamber at the State Capitol, 210 Capitol Ave.
The keynote speaker will be Artak Beglaryan, former Minister and Former Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Artsakh ( Nagorno-Karabakh). He will speak on “Genocide of Armenians in Artsakh.”
Currently, he serves as the president of the Artsakh Union, an advocacy non-governmental organization. His work focuses on raising global awareness about the genocide and advocating for international justice and protection for his compatriots sheltered in Armenia.
Beglaryan held several high-ranking positions in the Republic of Artsakh. While serving as the Human Rights Ombudsman from 2018 to 2020, he documented and reported war crimes committed by Azerbaijani forces during the 2020 aggression. After acting as the Chief of Presidential Staff for several months, he then served as State Minister from 2021 to 2022, the second-highest position in the government, coordinating the activities of primarily humanitarian ministries.
As a human rights defender, Beglaryan’s reports, interviews, opinions and comments have been published by Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, the New York Times, BBC, CNN, the Washington Post, Newsweek and many other leading organizations and media outlets.
He holds a Master’s degree in Politics, Security and Integration from University College London and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences from Yerevan State University. Additionally, he has studied Public Policy and Administration at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is currently a member of the International Association of Genocide Scholars.
