Armenia’s Commission on the Prevention of Corruption has launched an inquiry into Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s recent threats and verbal attacks directed at opposition lawmakers during a heated exchange in parliament earlier this month.
The investigation stems from remarks made by Pashinyan on May 7 during a question-and-answer session with the government in the National Assembly. When members of the opposition Hayastan alliance accused him of ignoring media reports alleging corruption within his inner circle, the prime minister lashed out.
“If we had acted on media articles, we would have hanged you and expelled you from Armenia altogether… If I am guided by media reports, I will have to throw all of you into the NSS [National Security Service] basement,” Pashinyan said.
In a shouting match that followed, he told opposition MP and former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan, “You must be the first to go [to prison] and you will go,” before calling him a “moron.”
The Hayastan alliance denounced the prime minister’s comments as unlawful and urged Prosecutor-General Anna Vardapetyan to respond. Vardapetyan, a former legal aide to Pashinyan, declined to comment directly on the matter, stating that she does not issue “political statements.”
Independent opposition MP Taguhi Tovmasyan later formally requested that the anti-corruption commission review Pashinyan’s conduct. On May 24, the commission confirmed it had opened an investigation on May 15. A spokesperson said the commission will seek written statements from individuals involved in the May 7 incident.
Under current Armenian law, the commission has limited authority and may only issue a formal reprimand if it finds Pashinyan violated ethical standards.
Meanwhile, ruling party officials have defended the prime minister’s behavior. Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan said on May 8 that opposition lawmakers should apologize to Pashinyan, blaming the incident on their “insolent” conduct.
Pashinyan has a history of losing his temper during parliamentary debates. In March, he threatened Armenia’s three former presidents, including Hayastan leader Robert Kocharyan, warning he would “throw [them] against the wall” and “trample [them] underfoot” if they continued to blame him for the loss of Artsakh.
Despite claiming to have eradicated “systemic corruption” since coming to power in 2018, Pashinyan’s administration faces mounting media scrutiny. Reports increasingly allege that members of his political circle have used public office for personal gain.
