Mass brawl in Armenia’s parliament: a chair thrown, punches and a suspended session
- Published
- Place
- National Assembly, Yerevan, Armenia
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
A brawl broke out on 29 October in Armenia’s National Assembly in Yerevan during a speech by MP Taron Chakhoyan of the ruling Civil Contract party. From the rostrum he accused the opposition of corruption, then targeted the family of Narek Karapetyan, leader of the Strong Armenia faction. After an exchange of insults, MPs from both camps came to blows. Deputy Speaker Vahagn Aleksanyan threw a chair towards the opposition benches; bottles flew and Mr Chakhoyan poured water over opposition MP Garnik Davtyan. Speaker Ruben Rubinyan initially refused to suspend the sitting “so that everyone can see”, before a break of about one hour. Clashes continued in the corridors, where security staff stepped in.
Video
Analysis
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took sides: he said he condemns violence but supports “the measures taken” by his faction, “whether with a chair or something else”. Ruben Rubinyan blames Narek Karapetyan and says Garnik Davtyan threw the first punch; Strong Armenia MP Marianna Ghahramanyan says instead that Rubinyan “bears full responsibility”. By several counts it is the third physical altercation in the chamber this month, a sign of extreme polarisation since the June elections.
Possible consequences
The Speaker’s office announced an internal inquiry, notably into MPs’ aides and bodyguards, and said those who broke the rules would be barred. Human Rights Defender Anahit Manasyan called for an investigation in line with the law, saying parliament must not be a “battlefield”. The climate makes it harder to find the two-thirds majority needed for constitutional reform.
What remains uncertain
The Prosecutor General’s Office said it had no information about any criminal proceedings so far. Who threw the first punch remains disputed. Accounts of the fight’s duration differ: around thirty minutes in total according to some, a few minutes in the chamber according to the official broadcast, before the suspension. The number and severity of injuries have not been officially established.
