Armenia Parliament Turns Violent as Lawmakers Exchange Punches, Throw Chairs During Debate
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A heated political debate in Armenia's parliament turned violent on Thursday, October 30, after lawmakers from the ruling party and opposition got into a physical fight. The clash involved punches, kicks and chairs being thrown inside the parliamentary chamber. Reports said that some lawmakers were injured during the incident, while security personnel were called in to control the situation. Videos showing the fight also surfaced on social media.
The violence reportedly started during a debate over the selection of a member of the Audit Chamber. The situation became tense after ruling Civil Contract party lawmaker Taron Chakhoyan referred to a controversial statement made before the elections by the cousin of opposition MP Narek Karapetyan.
What Led to the Fight Inside Armenia's Parliament?
According to the Armenian news agency, Chakhoyan reportedly mentioned a proposal to create a separate ministry to satisfy women if the opposition came to power. His remarks upset Karapetyan, who interrupted his speech. This led to a heated argument between the lawmakers, which soon turned into a physical fight.
Videos shared online reportedly showed lawmakers from both sides attacking each other. Some MPs were seen exchanging punches and kicks, while chairs were also thrown during the clash. The fight spread beyond the main parliamentary chamber, creating further tension inside the building.
- Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan blamed opposition MP Narek Karapetyan for starting the fight and accused him of trying to hit Taron Chakhoyan.
- Rubinyan also accused opposition MP Garnik Davtyan of hitting Chakhoyan during the clash.
Speaker Ruben Rubinyan later addressed the incident and said he had watched the video footage and listened to Chakhoyan's speech during a break. He reportedly claimed that Chakhoyan had not made any offensive remarks and held Karapetyan mainly responsible for the violence. He also said that Karapetyan had interrupted the speech and allowed his anger to take control of the situation.
Rubinyan further explained that he had allowed the live broadcast of the parliamentary session to continue during the incident so that the public could see what was happening inside the parliament. The incident has drawn attention to the growing political tensions between the ruling party and opposition lawmakers in Armenia.
