UPDATED 4/5
YEREVAN, ARMEINAN – Garen Megerdichian, a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), reported an altercation that occurred between him and the President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, earlier today.
Megerdichian was walking with his children in the Cascade area when he noticed security personnel and vehicles gathering nearby. Upon realizing that Alen Simonyan was present, Megerdichian expressed his opinion of Simonyan being a traitor, multiple times. During the exchange, two of Simonyan’s bodygaurds approached Megerdichian, grabbed his hands, and Alen Simonyan spit on Megerdichian’s face, replying “the traitor is your mother mother.”
As a result of the incident, Megerdichian sustained damage to the area around his eye. He was subsequently taken to the police department, which he found surprising, given that Simonyan was the one who initiated the physical confrontation.
In response to the situation, Members of the National Assembly, Hayk Mamijanyan and Aspram Krpeyan, have shown their support for Mgerdichian. They visited the Central Police Department to meet with him and discuss the matter further.
The incident has raised concerns about the behavior of public officials and the treatment of citizens who express dissenting opinions. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation and the National Assembly members involved in this case are expected to address the issue and ensure that appropriate actions are taken.
Corrections 4/4/2023 – The original article stated that Megerdichian had called Simonian a “sycophant” when in fact Megardichian had called Simonian a “traitor.” The original article also stated that Simonian slapped Megerdichian in response, when in fact he had two of his body guards hold Megerdichian motionless as he spat on on Megerdichian’s face and said “the traitor is your mother.”
