A physical altercation broke out in the Armenian parliament after opposition faction “Armenia” MP Artur Sargsyan delivered a speech. Sargsyan is facing efforts to strip him of parliamentary immunity and arrest him in connection with charges of attempted violent seizure of power and preparing a terrorist act.
According to Armenian media and statements made live by fellow “Armenia” faction MP Kristine Vardanyan, Sargsyan called the charges against him baseless and described his prosecution as politically motivated.
“In democratic countries, there are many cases when the attorney general comes to parliament knowing there are no guarantees their request (to strip immunity) will be approved. But here, we are in an unprecedented bastion of democracy — or rather, a bastion of dictatorship. Everything is pre-decided, recorded, and confirmed,” Sargsyan said.
Vardanyan added that after his speech, Sargsyan said he intended to leave and wait for the decision at home. At that moment, Vage Galumyan, a member of the ruling “Civil Contract” faction, approached him, triggering the fight.
After Sargsyan left the chamber, assistants of ruling party deputies reportedly stormed the hall, apparently aiming to attack the opposition MP. The intervention of the State Protection Service was required to resolve the conflict.
