More than a dozen Armenian civil society groups have condemned Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s conduct and rhetoric during a public exchange with a woman displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, calling his behavior “unacceptable” and warning of rising polarization ahead of elections.
The incident occurred on March 22 during a live-streamed metro ride in Yerevan that Pashinian and his political allies staged as part of their weekly campaign outings in the run-up to the June parliamentary elections.
During the encounter, the prime minister confronted a woman later identified as Armine Mosiyan, who refused to accept a pin depicting Armenia without Nagorno-Karabakh or allow him to give it to her young son.
Mosiyan, a 36-year-old daughter of a soldier killed during the first Karabakh war in the early 1990s, was among more than 100,000 Armenians who fled Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s military takeover of the region in September 2023.
In a heated exchange Pashinian referred to Karabakh Armenians collectively as “runaways” and said they had no right to accuse him of “giving away” the region.
The incident, broadcast online by the prime minister’s team, triggered strong reactions on social media. Pashinian later apologized to the woman and her son, citing “heightened emotion” and acknowledging “inappropriate remarks, gesturing and facial _expression_.” He also said he wished to meet her again for a “calm” conversation and invited her to his office to deliver a personal apology.
On March 23, a group of leading Armenian non-governmental organizations, including the Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, the Yerevan Press Club, the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Armenian Committee, the Media Initiatives Center and others, issued a joint statement condemning the prime minister’s behavior.
“We, the undersigned civil society organizations, consider unacceptable and condemn the conduct and rhetoric of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Nikol Pashinian, during a conversation on March 22, 2026 with a woman forcibly displaced from Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh]. This behavior constitutes not only a violation of the standards of conduct expected of a public official, but also reflects intolerance and hate speech towards Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh,” the statement said.
The NGOs said the presence of the woman’s child during the exchange was particularly troubling, arguing that it exposed the child to inappropriate conduct toward his mother and involved him in a political campaign.
“We find it unacceptable as it shapes future generations’ perceptions of power, the quality of speech, and interpersonal relations. This incident also sends a broader signal to society, legitimizing violence and polarization, which, regrettably, tends to intensify in the pre-election period,” the statement said.
The groups also said that despite Pashinian’s apology, his remarks had already triggered a new wave of hatred and targeting against Karabakh Armenians, particularly on social media.
They argued that the spread of hate speech was further fueled by an article published by the media outlet civic.am, which they described as affiliated with the ruling Civil Contract party, alleging it sought to discredit the woman.
According to the NGOs’ statement, such rhetoric by public officials, including Pashinian and Parliament Speaker Alen Simonian, is not isolated. They emphasized that such behavior is particularly “unacceptable and alarming” as it “leads to increased polarization, undermines social cohesion, and results in the re-victimization of the forcibly displaced population.”
The organizations demanded that the Armenian authorities, in particular, Prime Minister Pashinian “refrain from and exclude the use of rhetoric that spreads hatred and intolerance, or contains discrimination and insult…; ensure accountability for individuals who express and disseminate hate speech against forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh; exercise restraint in public speech and adhere to the ethical standards and rules of conduct of public officials; ensure that public officials and media outlets moderate hate speech in posts and comments on their social media platforms; more broadly, guarantee respect for human rights and ensure the implementation of the rule of law in the Republic of Armenia, including the protection of the right to privacy.”
Earlier, Armenia’s state ombudsperson, Anahit Manasian, also urged officials to exercise restraint in public discourse when addressing issues affecting displaced persons and refugees.
Various opposition groups in Armenia also condemned Pashinian’s conduct and statements regarding Karabakh Armenians.
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