“You started the fight”: Rubinyan to opposition MP

Ruben Rubinyan, Speaker of the National Assembly, commented on the fight in parliament between pro-government and opposition MPs.

“During the break, I watched all the footage, reviewed Mr. Taron Chakhoyan’s speech again, and studied the footage of your behavior, both the scuffle itself and what happened in the corridor, and I must state the following. In his speech, Taron Chakhoyan did not use a single offensive word. Not one word that could have been offensive or perceived as such. He spoke completely normally,” he said.

According to Rubinyan, Narek Karapetyan, head of the Strong Armenia faction, was unable to contain his emotions, began shouting insults from his seat, and then approached Chakhoyan and tried to hit him.

“Mr. Karapetyan, you bear direct responsibility for what happened. You started all of this, you interrupted the MP’s speech, and it was you who started this fight,” Rubinyan said.