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Punches fly, chairs thrown as Armenia parliament turns into battleground mid debate
Speaker Ruben Rubinyan blamed opposition MP Narek Karapetyan for starting the confrontation, which reportedly left some lawmakers hurt.
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A heated exchange between ruling-party and opposition lawmakers in Armenia's parliament escalated into a physical brawl on Thursday, with MPs exchanging punches and kicks during a parliamentary session.
The brawl reportedly broke out during a debate on electing a member of the Audit Chamber, after ruling Civil Contract faction MP Taron Chakhoyan referred to a controversial pre-election statement made by the cousin of opposition lawmaker Narek Karapetyan, Armenian news agency Armenpress reported.
Several purported videos from inside Parliament surfaced on social media, showing lawmakers engaging in physical confrontations, exchanging punches and throwing chairs at one another. Reports also suggested that some MPs were injured in the clashes.
According to the news agency, Chakhoyan recalled a proposal to establish a separate “ministry to satisfy women” if the opposition came to power. The remark prompted a response from Karapetyan, who interrupted Chakhoyan's speech, triggering a heated exchange that escalated into violence.
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Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan later blamed Karapetyan for initiating the confrontation. He said the opposition lawmaker had made offensive remarks and attempted to strike Chakhoyan. Rubinyan also accused opposition MP Garnik Davtyan of hitting Chakhoyan during the altercation.
“During the break, I watched all the footage and listened carefully to Taron Chakhoyan’s speech. I did not identify a single offensive remark in it. Mr. Narek Karapetyan, you failed to control your emotions, made offensive remarks from your seat, and then stood up and attempted to hit Taron Chakhoyan. Then, when the brawl began, Garnik Davtyan struck Taron Chakhoyan. Mr. Karapetyan, you are primarily responsible for what happened. You started this brawl by interrupting a lawmaker’s speech,” Rubinyan said, addressing opposition Strong Armenia faction leader Narek Karapetyan.
The incident reportedly involved lawmakers from both sides of the political divide and the confrontation spread beyond the immediate area of the parliamentary chamber. As the tension rose, security people were brought in.
Rubinyan said he had allowed the live broadcast to continue during the incident so the public could see what was happening inside parliament.
