Tensions erupted in Armenia’s National Assembly on April 22 as lawmakers clashed both verbally and physically over a bill aimed at criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide. The heated session, marked by scuffles, accusations, and a temporary shutdown of live coverage, underscored deepening divisions between the ruling Civil Contract party and the opposition Hayastan and Armenia blocs.
The turmoil began after opposition MP Artsvik Minasyan of the Hayastan faction announced the introduction of a bill that seeks to criminalize the denial or trivialization of the Armenian Genocide ahead of its 110th anniversary. The proposal triggered immediate friction in the chamber, leading to a scuffle between opposition MP Gegham Manukyan and Civil Contract MP Vahe Ghalumyan. The situation escalated to the point where Speaker Alen Simonyan suspended the live broadcast and called in State Protection Service officers to restore order.
“This is a choice between the dignity of the Armenian people and the forces that threaten it,” Minasyan said, urging all factions to back the bill during the upcoming debates.
The confrontation did not end with the physical altercation. A verbal crossfire followed between Manukyan and Hayk Konjoryan, head of the ruling party’s parliamentary faction. Manukyan accused Civil Contract of misrepresenting historical facts and dismissing long-standing efforts by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) to gain international recognition of the genocide.
“You fight all your life for justice, oppose Turkish-Armenian reconciliation under unfair terms, and now they accuse us of denial? Really?” Manukyan declared.
In response, Konjoryan dismissed Manukyan’s remarks as political theater. “If Gegham Manukyan didn’t exist, we’d have to invent him for these speeches,” he quipped, adding sarcastically, “You say Ararat was left off the national football kit by mistake—who’s really denying Ararat here?”
Konjoryan also accused the ARF of political opportunism, citing its historical alliances. “First with the Young Turks, then with the Republican Party—was everything just a misunderstanding?” he said.
Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan denied claims that the confrontation was linked to the genocide denial bill. “People have long figured them out and are disgusted with their lies,” he said, referencing the opposition.
However, opposition leaders insist otherwise. MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan claimed that the ruling party’s reaction was directly triggered by the bill’s announcement. “The Speaker doesn’t understand his role and keeps provoking. And I really don’t understand Vahe Ghalumyan’s role here except being Nikol’s godson,” he said.
Opposition MP Kristine Vardanyan then accused the ruling party of misleading the public. She argued that Armenia’s existing Criminal Code—specifically Article 136—only penalizes genocide denial when it incites hatred, discrimination, or violence. “Simply denying or questioning the Armenian Genocide is not punishable under the current law,” she wrote in a Facebook post, countering claims made by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Speaker Simonyan.
The session was originally convened to discuss unrelated tax legislation, specifically amendments to the Tax Code extending the deadline for income declaration submissions.
