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JAMnews
15-07-2025
- Health
- JAMnews
Criminalisation of violence against healthcare workers in Armenia
Criminalisation of violence against healthcare workers in Armenia Deputies from the ruling faction of Armenia's parliament have proposed criminalising cases of violence against healthcare workers and 'obstruction of their professional duties.' The parliament is currently discussing a draft law under which obstructing the work of medical staff could carry a penalty of up to one month in prison. If the obstruction is accompanied by a threat of violence, the prison term could be extended to up to two years. The authors of the bill emphasise that the current criminal code contains general provisions, but 'lacks a specific focus on the need to protect healthcare workers as a socially important group.' 'As a society, we must change. We need to understand that it is unacceptable to threaten or use violence against medical professionals fulfilling their duties. Just as it is with police officers or emergency responders,' said National Assembly deputy and chair of the health committee, Arsen Torosyan. The draft law was developed jointly with deputies Aren Mkrtchyan and Hasmik Hakobyan. The authors stress that any interference with a medical worker's duties can negatively impact their ability to carry out their professional responsibilities. Such actions may prevent a doctor from providing timely care and could even create 'dangerous situations threatening a patient's life.' The MPs hope that these legislative changes will help prevent attacks on healthcare workers and improve their safety. 27 cases of violence in two years 'Between 2023 and 2025, 27 incidents of violence against healthcare workers were recorded, four of which occurred in the first two months of 2025,' states the explanatory note attached to the bill. Two of this year's reported incidents took place in Yerevan, one in Shirak province, and another in Vayots Dzor province. Three involved emergency medical staff, while the fourth concerned violence by a patient's relatives against a hospital doctor. In both 2023 and 2024, other cases were also documented, involving aggressive behaviour toward medical personnel, verbal abuse, physical assaults, and injuries. The explanatory note highlights that such incidents are becoming increasingly frequent, indicating 'a significant rise in cases of violence.' Details — what the bill's authors propose MPs from the Civil Contract faction are proposing amendments to Armenia's Criminal Code. Specifically, they suggest adding Article 187.1 to the chapter on crimes that endanger life and health, introducing the following penalties: 'Obstructing the professional activities of a healthcare worker shall be punishable by a fine of up to ten times the minimum wage, or community service for up to 100 hours, or restriction of freedom for up to one year, or imprisonment for up to one month. The same act, if committed with the threat of violence against the healthcare worker, shall be punishable by a fine of up to twenty times the minimum wage, or community service from 100 to 200 hours, or restriction of freedom for up to two years, or imprisonment for up to two months.' MPs reviewed international experience The lawmakers consulted international conventions and examined how other countries criminalise violence against healthcare professionals. They cite, for example, U.S. legislation: 'On 1 January 2025, California Assembly Bill 977 came into force. It provides for imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to $2,000—or both.' Under the laws of New South Wales in Australia, offences against medical workers may be punished by prison terms ranging from 12 months to 14 years, depending on 'the severity or complexity of the impact.' A 2023 report by the National Association of Nurses of Armenia notes: 'The ineffectiveness of violence prevention strategies exacerbates the staffing crisis. Six out of ten nurses change jobs, resign, or consider doing so.' Comments from social media 'Legislative changes are important to protect medical workers from unlawful pressure. However, the concept of 'lawful professional activity' needs clarification so that it doesn't become an obstacle to citizens' right to file legitimate complaints in cases of possible medical error or negligence.' 'A commendable initiative. The main thing is for the law to be enforced. A profession is not a shield—but medical workers are doing their job in that moment. Don't assault people when you should be thanking them.' 'I urge the drafting of another bill—on violence against teachers.' 'And is there no provision for inappropriate behaviour by medical staff? For example, when they show up and instead of performing their duties, make demands and leave, abandoning the patient without help.' 'An excellent and long-awaited decision. Will doctors be allowed something for self-defence—especially ambulance personnel?' 'Since Armenia's independence, medical workers have been demonised to cover up systemic failures. This law won't bring big changes. We need to actively work on changing public perception of healthcare professionals.' Follow us – Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Criminalisation of violence against healthcare workers in Armenia
OC Media
14-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Detained Russian–Armenian billionaire Karapetyan to found new ‘political force'
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Samvel Karapetyan, a Russian–Armenian billionaire detained on charges of making calls for the overthrow of the government, has announced plans to create a 'fundamentally new political force' through which he could cooperate with 'like-minded people'. Karapetyan made the announcement through a Facebook post from detention on Monday morning. In the post, he thanked the 'tens of thousands' of his supporters who protested and called for his release from detention. He went on to briefly outline his plans to create a 'fundamentally new political force', while apparently shunning the work of Armenia's opposition parties. 'I have great respect for the political forces and figures who have fought a real struggle against the policy of [Prime Minister] Nikol Pashinyan's anti-national government. But we have our vision to build a good future for Armenia. And we will go our own way, with our new team, not excluding domestic cooperation with like-minded people'. 'Even in different circles of today's administration, there are real professionals who don't share the values of the small group [Civil Contract/ Pashinyan's government], but still don't see the way out of the situation', he said, adding that the 'formation of our political team has begun'. 'We will do it in our own way', he concluded his post in an allusion to the remark he had made before his arrest. Advertisement Karapetyan was charged in mid-June after making statements in support of the Armenian Church amidst its ongoing conflict with the government. 'If the politicians fail, then we will participate in our own way in all of this', Karapetyan had said in an interview with before his arrest. On 8 July, the authorities raided the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), the country's sole electricity distributor run by Karapetyan's Tashir Group. While no arrests were made during the raid, Narek Karapetyan, the detained tycoon's nephew and chair of ENA, said that investigators seized 37 documents from the company. The raid followed the adoption of legislative amendments on 4 July that would virtually allow the state to nationalise the company. Pashinyan had previously claimed the move was not related to Karapetyan's pro-church statements, and was instead rooted in public discontent with the company's services and frequent power outages in Armenia, which Pashinyan alleged were intentionally used 'to generate internal public discontent'. However, critics of the recent legislative amendments warn that the nationalisation of ENA could have consequences on the country's investment climate and foreign economic relations. The ENA raid is part of a broader conflict between the ruling Civil Contract party and the Armenian Church, which in late June resulted in the arrest of at least 15 people on charges of seeking to violently overthrow the government with a coup d'état. The authorities allege that the plot was spearheaded by the now-detained Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, an opposition figure who leads the anti-government Holy Struggle movement.
NDTV
08-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Brawl Erupts In Armenian Parliament As Government Cracks Down On Opponents
A heated parliamentary session in Armenia spiralled into chaos on Tuesday when a scuffle broke out between lawmakers and security personnel. The clash erupted after opposition MP Artur Sargsyan, who represents bloc Armenia, attempted to leave the chamber following his speech, triggering a confrontation. "I will voluntarily go to the Investigative Committee," he said. This comes as Sargsyan faces prosecution for calling for ousting President Nikol Pashinyan as political tensions flared in the South Caucasus country. Kristine Vardanyan, another opposition MP, claimed Sargsyan was attacked from behind by Vahe Galumyan, a lawmaker from the ruling Civil Contract party, while other lawmakers from the ruling party began to shout from their seats, after which they got up and attacked Sargsyan with their fists and also used slang expressions. This's a video of a #fight btw pro-govt & opposition MPs in the #Armenia |n parliament. A MP from the ruling team, which zealously advocates reconciliation with #Turkey, suddenly called his opponent the Turk's son. They should decide whether this's a swear word or a compliment. — Karina Karapetyan (@KarinaKarapety8) July 8, 2025 The confrontation unfolded during a tense debate over stripping Sargsyan of parliamentary immunity. Armenian authorities have accused him of involvement in planning an armed coup, an allegation he firmly denies. In his speech, Sargsyan said Armenia had become "a bastion of dictatorship" where "everything is decided in advance, written down, approved." The incident underscores growing political tensions in Yerevan. Pashinyan's government has been cracking down on political opponents he has said are trying to engineer a coup. In a social media post Monday, Pashinyan said he would liberate the Armenian Apostolic Church from its "anti-Christian, adulterous, anti-national, anti-state" leadership. Later in the session, the National Assembly voted to revoke parliamentary immunity for two key opposition figures: Seyran Ohanyan, leader of the "Armenia" faction and a former defence minister, and faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan. The vote also cleared the way for criminal proceedings against both. A decision on whether to strip Sargsyan of immunity and authorise his detention was still pending as the special session continued. In contrast, no such detention motions were introduced for either Ohanyan or Minasyan. As the National Assembly deputy speaker Ruben Rubinyan could not control the session, he declared a recess.
OC Media
04-07-2025
- Politics
- OC Media
Detained Russian–Armenian billionaire Karapetyan files defamation charges against ruling party MPs
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Armenian–Russian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan, currently detained on charges of calling for the overthrow of the government, has pressed defamation charges against two Civil Contract MPs, demanding ֏9 million ($24,000) from each. Karapetyan was detained in mid-June after making statements in support of the Armenian Church amidst ongoing tensions between it and the government. The two MPs accused of insulting Karapetyan are Arsen Torosyan and Hayk Konjoryan. According to Civilnet, in addition to the ֏9 million in damages, Karapetyan's defence team demanded that Torosyan publicly apologise for accusing the tycoon of having received instructions from the Russia's Federal Security Service to act against the Armenian government on 17 June. They demanded that Torosyan post the apology on his Facebook page or in any newspaper with a circulation of at least 5,000 copies in Armenia. Torosyan mocked the charges with a post on Facebook, calling them a 'great honour'. 'What a great honor. They know they have money, they can hire dozens of lawyers and sue everyone left and right and solve some issues with it, like silencing us? Seriously?' wrote the ruling party MP on Facebook. Konjoryan is being sued for singling out Karapetyan in his criticism of the church in parliament on 17 and 18 June. Advertisement Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Civil Contract have for months been embroiled in a conflict, regularly trading jabs at each other in media and social media. Pashinyan and supporters of the ruling party have notably accused Catholicos Karekin II and other high-ranking clergy of having broken their vows of celibacy. Kojoryan had called Karekin II — referring to him by his birthname, Ktrich Nersisyan — a 'warhead under which all criminals have gathered'. 'Oligarchs, former looters, outcasts, blasphemers, election scoundrels, and founding election scoundrels, all have gathered under this warhead as a warhead and with that warhead they want to fire at the state. And yesterday, the owner of the Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA), Samvel Karapetyan, also smoothly appeared under that warhead', he had said in parliament following the arrest of Karapetyan. Karapetyan's Tashir group owns ENA, Armenia's electricity distribution company. Civil Contract on Tuesday passed amendments that would allow it to nationalise the company. Karapetyan demands that Kojoryan similarly publish his apology on social media or printed press. Karapetyan's arrest in mid-June was followed by a series of raids and investigations at his enterprises. On Friday, RFE/RL reported that the authorities detained four Tashir Group employees on charges of large-scale money laundering. While the Investigative Committee has not made public the names of those detained, media reports suggest that one of those arrested is the director of a Tashir subsidiary company, while the other is a real estate agent.
Russia Today
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Imprisoned Russian businessman slams Armenian government
Armenia's leadership has turned politics into a confrontational circus, a Russian-Armenian businessman currently detained by the government has claimed. Samvel Karapetyan, who holds both Russian and Armenian citizenship and has a net worth of some $5 billion, was arrested in Yerevan last week after voicing support for the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) in an ongoing conflict with the country's authorities, led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Karapetyan faces charges of calling for the overthrow of the government and has been placed in pre-trial detention for two months as part of a case his supporters insist is politically motivated. In a Facebook post published on Tuesday, Karapetyan accused a group within Armenia's ruling Civil Contract party of being ready 'at a moment's notice' to trample on the country's core values, claiming they lack 'decency or respect' and 'attack strong women in politics simply because they don't tolerate criticism.' Karapetyan said he believed there are decent individuals even within the group and urged them 'not to be afraid, not to forget simple human values, and not to become cursed by their own people.' The tycoon's arrest stems from an ongoing conflict between the AAC and the government. Pashinyan initially launched an attack on the country's national church, which boasts some 3 million followers at home and a sizeable diasporic congregation, accusing it of corruption. The prime minister accused the head of the institution, Catholicos Garegin II, of breaching his vow of celibacy and urged him to step down. The church firmly rejected the allegations and suggested Pashinyan was acting on behalf of foreign 'Armenophobic' interests. Karapetyan was taken into custody on June 18, a day after declaring his support for the AAC to reporters. 'I have always been on the side of the Armenian Church and the Armenian people. If the politicians fail, we will intervene in the campaign against the Church in our own way.' Following Karapetyan's remarks, Pashinyan reportedly vowed to shut down the businessman's operations in Armenia 'for good.' On Tuesday, he threatened to nationalize Electric Networks of Armenia – a major utility owned by the Russian-Armenian tycoon. Karapetyan's arrest has sparked widespread criticism, including from figures in the Armenian diaspora and the Orthodox community in the country and abroad. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow is monitoring the situation and would assist Karapetyan if needed. 'For us, he is a Russian citizen,' Peskov told reporters, while adding that Russia did not wish to interfere in Armenia's internal affairs.
