A criminal case on hooliganism charges has been launched against Artsakh native Arthur Osipyan following an argument with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a Civil Contract campaign event in Yerevan’s Arabkir district. Osipyan was transferred from the Arabkir community police department to a detention facility, Factor.am reported.
Lawyer Roman Yeritsyan earlier announced Osipyan’s detention.
Arthur Osipyan is the chairman of the Artsakh Revolutionary Party.
On May 18, he approached Pashinyan, who was campaigning in Arabkir district, and asked questions regarding Armenia’s security and demands put forward by Azerbaijan, stressing that Baku raises the issue of the return of Azerbaijani refugees on international platforms. Pashinyan reacted sharply, stating that such an issue is not on Armenia’s agenda and accusing Osipyan of spreading “Azerbaijani narratives.” The situation then escalated, and Pashinyan harshly demanded that Osipyan leave.
“Get out of here, you fool. These pseudo-elites from Karabakh should disappear from here altogether. No one should dare… hey, fugitives, what are you even doing here? Who are these people? These pseudo-elites from Karabakh came here waving fingers around. Get out altogether. Who are you? When the Karabakh issue existed, you should have gone and died there. Why are you even alive?” Pashinyan said angrily.
Later, after Osipyan had already been removed from the area, National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan showed Pashinyan a social media post allegedly written by him.
“Look what he wrote on Facebook about Nikol… just look at that. If we had let it continue and they had beaten him badly, they would have said we were wrong. Don’t get underfoot, coward. Hey, scumbag, explain why you didn’t die. Why didn’t you die in some trench? You came to Yerevan to make ‘movements.’ So you, your leadership, your so-called National Assembly deputies and ministers of Ղարաբաղ — I’m telling you, sit down quietly. Don’t try to drag Armenia back into conflict,” Pashinyan said.
