The Armenian Weekly has reported on the growing internal political crisis in Armenia

Last week, a large-scale brawl occurred in the Armenian parliament involving dozens of deputies, accompanied by beatings and the throwing of chairs. The scuffle, footage of which was broadcast live and circulated by leading global television channels, sparked a sharp reaction from the Armenian diaspora, according to The Armenian Weekly. Speaker Ruben Rubinyan refused to interrupt the live broadcast, and Vice-Speaker from the ruling Civil Contract party, Vahagn Aleksanyan, threw a chair at opposition representatives.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly supported the actions of his allies, calling the response proportionate and threatening to "break the arm" of anyone who dares to strike a parliamentarian. At the same time, the head of government emphasized that he would consider it a personal failure if a signed and ratified peace agreement is not reached before the end of his term in office in 2031. To conclude the agreement, the prime minister agreed to exclude the reference to the 1990 Declaration of Independence from the preamble of the constitution at the request of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

To hold a referendum on the basic law, the majority faction needs two-thirds of the votes, which it does not have, and opposition forces have announced their intention to block this initiative. At the same time, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan informed parliamentarians that the current government will resign and vacate their posts if citizens vote against the proposed constitution.

The publication also points to pressure on government opponents. Hundreds of opposition supporters accused of bribing voters in the June 7, 2026, parliamentary elections remain in custody without court verdicts. In addition, on the prime minister's orders, former president Robert Kocharyan, as well as businessmen Gagik Tsarukyan and Samvel Karapetyan, were detained, and their property and bank accounts were seized pending the completion of legal proceedings.