Past

Varuzhan Babajanyan is the founder and owner of Past newspaper and has been involved in politics on multiple occasions. In the 2017 National Assembly elections, he was nominated as a rating candidate for the Tavush region from the Tsarukyan bloc but was not a member of the party. Although the Tsarukyan bloc entered parliament, Babajanyan did not pass, holding 41st place on the list. Before the 2017 elections, Babajanyan announced on his Facebook page that he was resigning from the post of chairman of the editorial board of Past newspaper.

In 2018, Babajanyan announced he was resigning from the post of editor of Past newspaper, proposing the candidacy of Artak Tshagharyan for that position. Babajanyan left this role to participate in the 2018 snap parliamentary elections, again running as a non-partisan candidate in the Tavush region from the Prosperous Armenia party. He was not elected as a deputy.

Babajanyan participated in the 2021 snap parliamentary elections as a candidate from the Prosperous Armenia party, which failed to enter parliament. The Central Election Commission's electoral list identified him as a party member. However, according to MOM Team research, Babajanyan stated that he was not a party member and participated as a non-partisan candidate, creating a discrepancy in his party affiliation status.

In addition to Past newspaper, Babajanyan founded the website orer.am. Another website, oratert.am, was also registered under his name.

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Artak Tshagharyan has served as editor of Past daily newspaper since 2018. According to biographical data he provided, Tshagharyan has worked as a journalist, executive secretary, and editor-in-chief in various media outlets since 1992, including Narek, Oe, Avangard, Aravot, and Hayastan. The response does not specify which position he held at each media outlet.

From 2009 to 2011, Tshagharyan worked at the Public Relations and Information Centre SNCO of the Presidential Administration, first as an advisor and then as deputy director. From 2011 to 2018, he held the position of deputy director at Tashir Invest Group company. During this period, he also coordinated the work of the Tashir charitable foundation.

Tshagharyan has been identified in media reports as the head of the office of Karen Karapetyan, a deputy of the National Assembly during the 2nd and 3rd convocations. Karen Karapetyan is the brother of Samvel Karapetyan, owner of the Tashir group of companies and a Russia-based businessman.