Armenian Parliament erupts in brawl as lawmakers trade punches and chairs

OPA WIRE, Oct 30 (OPA) — The chaos erupted during a live-broadcast session when Taron Chakhoyan of the ruling Civil Contract party accused Narek Karapetyan, leader of the Strong Armenia party, of systemic corruption. Tensions escalated rapidly as the two legislators exchanged verbal abuse before physical scuffles broke out among members of both parties. The confrontation intensified when a chair was thrown in the direction of Deputy Speaker Vahagn Aleksanyan, forcing a temporary disruption of proceedings.

Speaker Ruben Rubinyan declined to suspend the session or cut the live feed, stating, "I want everyone to see all of this." Following the resumption of the debate, Chakhoyan characterized the opposition members as "hooligans," while Karapetyan defended the violence as a "normal Armenian-style man-to-man fight," claiming his side had responded to months of provocation.

The dispute originated from accusations regarding the former president's administration and resurfaced past remarks by Sargis Karapetyan, who had previously advocated for the creation of a government-sanctioned "Ministry of Sex." The ruling party utilized these past comments to discredit the opposition, leading to the breakdown in parliamentary decorum.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who was absent during the session, issued a stern warning to the assembly following the incident. He stated that any lawmaker attempting to strike a colleague would face severe consequences, telling reporters, "If anyone thinks they can raise a hand against a member of the National Assembly, hit them or do anything else, we will break that arm. If necessary, with a chair."