Hovik Aghazaryan, a pro-government lawmaker who has fallen out of favor with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, announced on Tuesday that he is postponing his decision on whether to resign from Armenia’s parliament.
Aghazaryan is one of eight officials whom Pashinyan reportedly urged to resign in written messages sent on November 17. While the other seven, including Investigative Committee head Argishti Kyaramyan, complied in the following days, Aghazaryan has resisted stepping down.
Kyaramyan, who had a heated altercation with Aghazaryan during a parliamentary hearing last month, was among those who left their posts. The two men exchanged insults and nearly came to blows on the parliament floor.
Initially, Aghazaryan denied reports of pressure to vacate his seat. However, in an interview with state television on Friday, Pashinyan confirmed asking Aghazaryan to resign. On Saturday, the outspoken lawmaker stated he would announce his decision by Monday evening.
Before that announcement, Aghazaryan met with Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan, a close ally of Pashinyan. Following the meeting, Aghazaryan postponed his decision, citing an unexpected phone call from a childhood friend in Moscow.
“My friend said he would be very upset if I responded to the prime minister’s public request before meeting him,” Aghazaryan told reporters on Tuesday. “Now I’m waiting for him to arrive. He’ll let me know in the evening when he’ll come.”
Aghazaryan did not identify the friend. He also dismissed claims that Simonyan threatened him during their 40-minute meeting, though he vaguely described feeling pressured.
“I wish Alen Simonyan had threatened me instead of what he actually did,” the 64-year-old lawmaker remarked cryptically. Simonyan’s office declined to comment on their conversation.
Adding to the intrigue, Aghazaryan was summoned twice last week to Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee for questioning in two separate criminal investigations. He is reportedly suspected of illegal influence peddling, a development many observers view as further government pressure. Aghazaryan vowed on Thursday to “fight” and prove his innocence.
The wave of resignations comes shortly after Pashinyan publicly lamented a lack of “justice” in the country. Political analysts see these moves as part of an effort to shore up his waning popularity ahead of general elections expected in June 2026 or sooner.
The political standoff surrounding Aghazaryan highlights ongoing tensions within Armenia’s ruling party as it seeks to navigate public dissatisfaction and internal discord.
