‘In this hotel, I am the owner’: Aghazaryan on the reasons for the argument in the National Assembly

Armenian National Assembly deputy from the ‘Civil Contract’ faction, Hovik Aghazaryan, assures that no insults were exchanged before the argument with opposition members began.

In a briefing with reporters, Aghazaryan stated that he was simply displeased with the fact that after his speech, opposition member Arthur Sargsyan stood up and said, ‘Look into my eyes.’

“I was sitting directly facing him. I am obligated to respect the institution to the best of my abilities, and I made a remark. I said, ‘This is not a theater; sit in your place,’” said the deputy.

In response to a comment that Arthur Sargsyan said he was told to ‘get back to his seat,’ Aghazaryan replied that perhaps that happened later; he does not remember, however, he confirmed that no insults were exchanged.

When asked whether judge Armen Danielyan could have defended himself, Aghazaryan answered in Russian: “Because in this hotel, I am the owner. This is the National Assembly; it’s an institution of which I am a member, and I am obligated to protect the interests of everyone. Yes, he came here to demand an explanation. The National Assembly is not a place for ‘disputes.’”