The key facts

  • On the morning of October 29, deputies of the ruling Civil Contract and the opposition Armenia Alliance (Powerful Armenia) brawled in the parliamentary chamber
  • Deputy speaker Vaagh Aleksanyan threw a chair at the opposition members; according to News.am, one deputy was bleeding from the nose
  • Speaker Ruben Rubinyan did not stop the broadcast of the session; this is already the second mass brawl in parliament in October

Brawl in the parliamentary chamber

On the morning of October 29, a mass brawl broke out in the chamber of Armenia's parliament between deputies of the ruling Civil Contract party and the opposition Armenia Alliance (Powerful Armenia). This was reported by Kun.uz citing Armenian publications.

How the conflict unfolded

The trigger was a verbal altercation that arose during a speech by deputy Taron Chakhoyan. During the scuffle, deputy speaker Vaagh Aleksanyan threw a chair at the opposition members. According to News.am, one deputy was bleeding from the nose, and another's clothing was torn.

Session suspended, broadcast not stopped

The session was suspended, but parliament speaker Ruben Rubinyan did not stop the broadcast of what was happening. Conflicts between deputies continued in the parliament's corridors as well.

Second incident in a month

This is not the first mass brawl among deputies in the Armenian parliament: in early October, a scuffle between opposition and ruling party representatives also took place in the parliament building. Thus, at least two such incidents have been recorded in the country's legislative body within a single month, indicating continuing sharp confrontation between the factions.