Chaos on camera: Armenia MPs trade blows as parliament erupts into mass brawl

According to extensive coverage from outlets including UA.News, the Washington Times, The Telegraph, and The Times of India, a violent physical confrontation broke out inside the Armenian parliament. Dozens of members of parliament traded blows in a mass brawl that was broadcast live on camera. According to reports from OC Media, Hetq.am, and IntelliNews, the chaotic scenes featured lawmakers physically clashing, with chairs being tossed across the chamber floor amidst heated arguments and a parliamentary corruption debate. Coverage from regional and international sources details multiple layers of political discord surrounding the incident. Armenpress reports that the parliamentary speaker publicly blamed MP Narek Karapetyan for sparking the brawl.

Meanwhile, outlets such as Asbarez and Ազատություն Ռադիոկայան note that Prime Minister Pashinyan subsequently praised his party members following the violence. Concurrently, Hetq.am notes that the physical clash erupted while Pashinyan was declaring an independence document to be anti-state, tying the physical disruption directly to ongoing high-stakes ideological disputes within the legislative body. Additional context provided by ArmInfo, Aysor.am, and the PanARMENIAN Network illustrates deep structural and political fractures within the country. An opposition politician asserted via ArmInfo that the brawl demonstrated a legitimacy crisis for the ruling Civil Contract faction. Aysor.am reports that political figures like Zurabyan compared the disruption to a special operation by Aliyev’s OMON, while Tandilyan called for urgent efforts to help Pashinyan leave the post of prime minister as soon as possible.

These reactions highlight the severe underlying political polarization reflected in the chamber. Institutional and public watchdogs have responded directly to the violence on camera. According to reports from the PanARMENIAN Network and Armenpress, the Human Rights Defender and ombudsperson formally condemned the brawl, declaring that parliament must function as a forum for debate rather than a battlefield for resolving disputes. Coverage does not yet specify what formal disciplinary measures, legal penalties, or parliamentary sanctions might be imposed against the lawmakers involved as investigations and political fallout continue to develop.