Armenian MPs brawl in parliament over remarks about women, session halted

Remarks behind the clash

Deputies from the governing Civil Contract party and the opposition Strong Armenia faction fought in the National Assembly of Armenia on Thursday, 29 October 2026. The dispute began with remarks made by Sargis Karapetyan, a cousin of opposition leader Narek Karapetyan, during a podcast. According to local press reports, he said that if his party won power, no woman in the country would be deprived of sexual satisfaction, and another participant jokingly proposed a ministry for that purpose. In January 2026, a sociologist had attributed growing interest in politics among middle-aged Armenian women to sexual dissatisfaction. The podcast conversation then moved from women's political activism to sexual satisfaction and falling birth rates.

Speech and rush to the podium

Taron Chakhoyan, a Civil Contract deputy, raised the remarks from the floor and questioned why no apology had yet been made to women. He also reminded Narek Karapetyan that his cousin had not apologised. Karapetyan answered from his seat before walking toward the podium, and opposition deputies then rushed the speaker's rostrum. Video footage shows deputies pushing and striking one another while others tried to pull them apart. Chairs were thrown across the chamber, one of them by deputy speaker Vahagn Aleksanyan toward opposition members, and Chakhoyan was seen splashing water on opposition deputy Garnik Davtyan. Accounts differ on the agenda item, with one describing a debate on electing a member of the Audit Chamber and another a debate on oversight of public spending.

Suspension and corridor fight

Speaker Ruben Rubinyan initially refused to halt the session even as tensions escalated, and the clash went on for more than 10 minutes before he called a recess and summoned parliament's security officers. The session was suspended once the deputies began hitting one another, and security staff moved in to separate the two camps. The fighting then spilled into the corridors outside the chamber, where security personnel formed two lines between the groups. An ambulance was called to parliament after lawmakers were injured, although the articles do not say how many were hurt.

Speaker blames opposition leader

When the session resumed after a one-hour break, Rubinyan blamed Narek Karapetyan for the brawl, saying the opposition leader had provoked Chakhoyan. Having reviewed the video recordings, Rubinyan concluded that responsibility lay with Karapetyan and said that Chakhoyan used no offensive words in his speech. According to the speaker, Karapetyan could not control his emotions, shouted insults at Chakhoyan, rose from his seat and tried to hit him. Rubinyan also claimed that the first blow in the fight was struck by Garnik Davtyan against Chakhoyan. Alain Simonyan, secretary of Armenia's Security Council, separately said the authorities were not interested in such incidents.

A recurring pattern

Reports describe Thursday's exchange as the second violent confrontation between government and opposition deputies within a month. A similar clash took place in early October 2026, after Strong Armenia deputy Edgar Ghazaryan accused Ruben Rubinyan of misusing public money on allowances for MPs. Both incidents involved members of the same two factions. Reports also note that the violence came only weeks after the newly elected parliament adopted rules meant to prevent such behaviour. The articles do not say what disciplinary steps, if any, will follow.