Ladies 'Feminists', Do You Have Anything to Say About Hovhannisyan's Words? - Opposition MP

Kristine Vardanyan, an MP from the 'Armenia' faction, wrote: "Do you remember when the women of the ruling party were very upset and indignant when one of the opposition MPs called Anna Hakobyan the partner of Prime Minister Pashinyan? They considered it targeting a woman.

Ladies 'feminists', do you have anything to say about Arthur Hovhannisyan's words, or are you just as principled 'feminists' as you are principled 'democrats' and 'sovereigntists'? Have you noticed that you are successfully and rapidly corrupting any idea you try to associate yourself with?"

We recall that earlier, opposition MPs issued a statement: “We consider it unacceptable and strongly condemn the statements made by Arthur Hovhannisyan, the secretary of the ruling party’s faction, addressed to opposition MP Taguhi Tovmasyan on September 8, 2025. It should be noted that the situation arose when Hovhannisyan attempted to obstruct Tovmasyan's press conference, during which she stated that Pashinyan was not making sufficient efforts towards the return of Armenian captives held in Baku.

This is not only another manifestation of the intolerant atmosphere prevailing in the National Assembly, but also a manifestation of gender-based discrimination and a direct attack on women's political participation. This situation deserves unequivocal assessment from both domestic political stakeholders and international human rights and women's rights organizations. It is clear that the persistent targeting of women engaged in professional activities has become a recurring practice of representatives of the ruling power.

It is also a fact that representatives of the ruling force consistently implement a policy of degrading and devaluing political discourse, turning it into a series of insults and expressions that humiliate dignity. This endangers the health of public debate and the foundations of democracy, and thus should receive a clear and unequivocal public response.

It is noteworthy that Arthur Hovhannisyan consistently stands out for behavior that contradicts the minimum moral norms; he is known for public calls for violence and defamation of opposition figures, for which he has been required by court rulings to apologize.

Finding the use of such language targeting and degrading a woman in the public sphere by a person holding a high position in the National Assembly unacceptable, we demand: 1. An apology from Arthur Hovhannisyan for his statements; 2. A clear, targeted, and public condemnation from the leadership of the National Assembly, as well as the formation of a Temporary Ethics Commission to investigate A. Hovhannisyan's behavior."

Agnesa Khmoyan, Anna Grigoryan, Anna Mkrtchyan, Aspram Krpeyan, Arekhnaz Manukyan, Armine Kheranyan, Armenuhi Kyureghyan, Arpine Vardanyan, Zemfira Mirzoyeva, Elinar Vardanyan, Irina Gasparyan, Lilit Galstyan, Kristine Vardanyan.

We recall that opposition MP Taguhi Tovmasyan demanded that the secretary of the ruling party’s faction, Arthur Hovhannisyan, take a drug test: “I demand that Hovhannisyan be tested for drug use every day before entering the National Assembly, and that the results be made public,” she said. In response, ruling party secretary Arthur Hovhannisyan told reporters: “If she dares to make such a rude suggestion to a woman, then I will also suggest that she take a sexually transmitted infection test every day, so we can understand where that 4-tomb comes from."