A brawl broke out in Armenia’s parliament on October 29, leaving an opposition deputy with a bleeding nose and prompting parliamentary security to intervene, footage from the National Assembly showed.

The confrontation erupted when Taron Chakhoyan, a member of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party, responded to opposition accusations of corruption during a debate on the appointment of a member of the Chamber of Accounts, the state audit institution.

“People steeped in corruption talk about corruption, about fakes,” Chakhoyan said, naming Ishkhan Zakaryan and Gagik Khachatryan and referring to associates of former president Robert Kocharyan, according to Zartonk Media.

He then addressed Mesrop Manukyan of the opposition Armenia faction, saying: “Whoever talks about corruption, you were the assistant of Manvel the canned meat thief, do you understand?”

The remark referred to Manvel Grigoryan, a former general and lawmaker who was arrested in 2018 after supplies donated for soldiers were found at his properties.

Chakhoyan also targeted Narek Karapetyan, head of the opposition Strong Armenia faction and nephew of arrested businessman Samvel Karapetyan.

Karapetyan responded from his seat, prompting a heated exchange that escalated when opposition lawmakers left their seats and began pushing and grabbing one another.

The scuffle developed into punches and kicks. Deputy speaker Vahagn Aleksanyan threw a chair towards opposition lawmakers, footage showed.

Speaker Ruben Rubinyan initially allowed proceedings to continue but called a recess after about 10 minutes and summoned parliamentary security.

One opposition deputy was seen with a bleeding nose, and an ambulance arrived at the parliament building, according to footage and reports from local media.

A parliament statement said the Standing Committee on Financial, Credit and Budgetary Issues had proposed the candidacy of Karen Arustamyan, a Civil Contract, as a member of the Chamber of Accounts, but talks were "interrupted during the exchange of ideas phase".