The statement made by the chair of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defense and Security, Andranik Kocharyan, about former Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan has caused a lot of controversy.
Andranik Kocharyan gave journalists an explanation in parliament. “I was responding to an interview Arpine Hovhannisyan had with 24news where she used my name. She gave my name as an example, or conditionally, so I said that she could have used someone else’s name as an example or conditionally, such as her mother’s or another family member’s. Arpine Hovhannisyan could have familiarized herself with everything during her time in office. She gave incorrect evaluations of political events, as well as an incorrect evaluation of me, so I responded in the way I did. If anyone is insulted because of that… As far as I understood, aside from Arpine Hovhannisyan, everyone was insulted by that.”
When asked what he was referring to when he mentioned Arpine Hovhannisyan’s “unknown father,” Andranik Kocharyan said, “I meant that the public does not know who he is. Aravot Daily published a pre-election interview with Arpine Hovhannisyan where she spoke about her grandfather, but she didn’t say anything about her father.”
When asked if he found it appropriate to say such a thing about a woman as a man and whether or not he was willing to apologize, Kocharyan said, “No, I will not apologize. I am waiting for Arpine Hovhannisyan to comment on her interview with 24news. If I insulted her father, then I am willing to meet with him wherever he wants so we can discuss how this issue started.” Andranik Kocharyan was informed that Arpine Hovhannisyan’s father is no longer alive. “I didn’t know that.”
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