Tense Debate in Armenian Parliament Over Human Rights Committee Chair
The nomination of opposition MP Lilit Galstyan as the Chair of the Human Rights Protection Committee sparked a heated debate in the Armenian parliament. Tensions flared between ruling party and opposition lawmakers, largely centering on the controversial figure of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan.
In the National Assembly, the discussion regarding Lilit Galstyan, a candidate from the opposition "Armenia" faction, was accompanied by sharp exchanges between ruling party and opposition deputies. The situation escalated when National Assembly Deputy Speaker Vahagn Aleksanyan compared Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who is currently facing charges of attempted terrorism, to Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Debate and Mutual Accusations
Candidate Lilit Galstyan defended the clergyman and the 17 other individuals involved in the case, insisting they are innocent. She claimed the charges are politically motivated to silence opponents and that the audio recordings in the case have been manipulated. Galstyan strongly condemned the Deputy Speaker's comparison.
"...it is absolutely incorrect, and you are also insulting me as a faithful follower of the Armenian Apostolic Church," noted Lilit Galstyan.
In response, Vahagn Aleksanyan stated that the clergyman behaves like a mujahid and offends his religious feelings.
"I do not see a particularly big difference between those two individuals..." countered the National Assembly Deputy Speaker.
Opposition lawmaker Gegham Manukyan called for moderation in speech. Fellow opposition MP Levon Kocharyan pointed out that while almost 3 thousand people died due to Osama bin Laden's actions, the policies of the ruling "Civil Contract" party have resulted in about 2 thousand more deaths than that. The argument widened when Mesrop Manukyan joined in, referencing the fatal traffic accident in Proshyan involving a pregnant woman, Sona Mnatsakanyan, and the country leader's motorcade. This was a retort to Aleksanyan's remark regarding former President Robert Kocharyan still being at large.
Discussions on Political Persecution
During her speech, Lilit Galstyan highlighted several domestic issues, including the disproportionate use of police force, the lack of judicial independence, and restrictions on freedom of speech. She described the pre-election arrests of political figures such as Igor Sargsyan, Samvel Karapetyan, Chalabyan, Tevanyan, and Tsarukyan as acts of political repression.
Alkhas Ghazaryan from the ruling "Civil Contract" faction challenged these claims, demanding evidence from international organizations confirming the existence of political prisoners in Armenia.
"It was during your rule that the presence of political prisoners in Armenia was documented. At the very least, you cannot present such a fact right now," noted Ghazaryan.
Opposition MP Anna Grigoryan accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of applying double standards, while ruling party MP Arpine Davoyan criticized Galstyan for defending individuals who had violated their religious vows of celibacy.
Candidates for Other Committees
The parliament is set to elect the chairs for all 12 standing committees. Opposition candidates cannot secure these positions without the backing of the ruling majority's votes. Among other nominations, Lusine Badalyan has been put forward for the Chair of the Health Care Committee, while the "Strong Armenia" faction nominated Artsakh resident Arega Hovsepyan for the European Integration Committee.
This article was generated automatically using AI based on reporting from established news sources. All sources are listed below.
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