Parliamentary "Bespredel" Continues: NGOs Condemn Events in the National Assembly

A number of organizations and NGOs have issued a statement regarding the incident that took place in the National Assembly on April 20. The statement reads:

“Verbal clashes, mutual insults, scuffles, and fights between the ruling ‘Civil Contract’ faction and opposition factions have become a common occurrence in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia. Amid a fateful geopolitical situation for the state and in the face of security threats, the focus of public attention is on the foolish and hooligan behavior of the 'chosen ones' of the people and its impunity.

The absence of political assessments and accountability leads to new and disgraceful situations and their justification. Public dissatisfaction remains unaddressed, and the parliamentary ‘bespredel’ continues audaciously.”

“On April 20, 2023, an incident occurred in the National Assembly involving the ruling ‘Civil Contract’ faction, its chairman Alen Simonyan, and the parliamentary opposition, as well as the chair of the Human Rights Committee of the National Assembly, Taguhi Tovmasyan, during which security service employees were involved, instructed to turn off the broadcast, and deputies were forcibly removed from the hall. As a result of the lack of legal and political consequences for previous actions, the chairman of the National Assembly threatened this time to ‘spit’ on the deputies.”

“We, the undersigned organizations, strongly condemn all political figures who transform the National Assembly into a platform for cheap shows or ‘gangland’ retribution and the spread of hatred, as well as the behavior manifested by them. We once again demand from all deputies of the National Assembly, particularly from the ruling majority, to make efforts to condemn and exclude the irresponsible behavior of their party members. Each deputy of the National Assembly should demonstrate through their daily behavior, conduct, and words that they deserve to be the chosen representative of their people.”

“We urge the National Assembly to urgently establish an ethics committee to examine the conduct of both the chairman of the National Assembly and other parliamentarians, holding them accountable for exhibiting inappropriate conduct, including the question of resignation. In particular, we expect concrete actions from the ruling majority in this direction, if it feels any responsibility for the well-being of the Republic of Armenia and its citizens.”

“We expect the law enforcement agencies, and particularly the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Armenia, to demonstrate political neutrality and professionalism, providing an appropriate response to incidents containing criminal elements.”

Signed, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, Helsinki Association for Human Rights, Informational Citizens’ Union, Community Mobilization and Support Center NGO, Public Journalism Club, Peace Dialogue NGO, Center for Human Rights Research, Freedom of Information Center, Rights Protection Without Borders NGO, Pink Human Rights NGO.”