A heated argument and physical scuffle broke out in Armenia’s National Assembly after a contentious exchange between Deputy Speaker Hakob Arshakyan and Armenia faction MP Levon Kocharyan.

Kocharyan criticized the ruling authorities, saying the opposition is often accused of focusing on issues like Artsakh and border delimitation due to alleged concerns over personal assets. “To preserve your property, you either lie low and cooperate with the authorities, or you sell everything and leave. We’ve done neither,” he stated.

He also mocked Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s past insults toward opposition MPs, including calling them “idiots,” questioning: “Who’s the idiot now?” Kocharyan also warned Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan over past comments, suggesting “the fall will be hard” when Simonyan is removed from office.

Arshakyan angrily responded, calling on Kocharyan to “know your limits” and shouting, “Sit down and listen to me, Levon.” This led to a confrontation between ruling party and opposition MPs. Tensions escalated, and Kocharyan eventually left the chamber.

Armenia faction MP Artur Khachatryan also sharply criticized the government's anti-corruption policies, comparing them to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s manipulation of the displaced persons issue. Khachatryan argued that the real aim isn’t solving corruption but staging it for show with baseless accusations.

He noted that eight years into its rule, the government has not secured a single corruption-related conviction, stressing, “Only the court can issue verdicts. Where are the verdicts?”

When Civil Contract faction secretary Artur Hovhannisyan intervened, further tension arose. In response, Khachatryan asked Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan to call the MP to order and mocked Hovhannisyan’s interjection with a sarcastic remark: “I could clap—dance for us… that’s something.”