Do Pashinyan and the US Embassy condone the beating of an activist in the Nor-Nork administration office?

On April 30, an incident took place in the Nor-Nork administration building involving activist Artur Chakhoyan and the head of the administrative district, Tigran Ter-Margaryan. The reason for the conflict was Chakhoyan’s intention to meet with the district head regarding the construction of a kindergarten and playground, which had sparked public outcry. The administration staff tried to prevent the meeting. One of the employees told Chakhoyan that he had insulted all the men working in the building and had to answer for it. This led to a scuffle, which Ter-Margaryan himself joined. When police officers arrived at the scene, they arrested only Chakhoyan.

The situation is complex and should be examined from different perspectives. To begin with, for “unknown reason”, the embassies of the US and the EU are silent about the assault on activist Chakhoyan. These are precisely the institutions that do not lose the opportunity to emphasize that they “support Armenian democracy.” Don’t the US and EU embassies want to comment on this public mass assault, which occurred live in a government institution?

The “hero of the day”, Tigran Ter-Margaryan, is a representative of the Republic party, led by Aram Sargsyan. Sargsyan portrays himself as a proponent of Western values and a politician who “will bring Armenia into the family of civilized European countries.”

Today, in the administrative building of the Nor-Nork district, one could witness the “Europe” that Sargsyan envisions for Armenia. Sargsyan, who is speculating on the image of his brother, has a chance to show whether he believes in what he says. To do this, he should remove Ter-Margaryan from his position as head of the district and expel him from the party. If Sargsyan fails to do this, his inaction will prove that he has nothing to do with the values he is talking about.

After Vardan Ghukasyan was elected mayor of Gyumri, government propaganda claimed that “crime has returned to Gyumri”, yet today, everyone could see where crime truly resides. Moreover, it is a crime that mirrors the tactics favored by Azerbaijanis—where a crowd attacks a single individual.

And finally, as you all know, Vilen Gabrielyan, a former member of the ruling Civil Contract party, resigned from his mandate after the events of March 30, when he appeared drunk on camera after the Gyumri elections and made several obscene and offensive remarks to journalists.

In his resignation statement, Gabrielyan acknowledged that an MP is obligated to avoid inappropriate behavior. Since he failed to meet this standard, he resigned out of a sense of responsibility.

Tigran Ter-Margaryan insulted Artur Chakhoyan before he beat him. Yet as the day draws to a close, Ter-Margaryan shows no intention of following Gabrielyan’s example and resigning from his post. Therefore, a legitimate question arises: Did Gabrielyan resign for reasons other than his offensive behavior? Could it be because he revealed a plan by certain individuals to ensure Nikol Pashinyan loses power in 2026? Recall that on March 30, when asked if he was going to resign his mandate because of his behavior, Gabrielyan stated, “One way or another, the government will change in 2026. Why give up the mandate now?”

Let’s repeat the question once again: Is it possible that Gabrielyan resigned because he disclosed a plan, according to which Pashinyan should lose power in 2026? To lose—or to return?

Think about it…