Armenian MP gives handcuffs to Investigative Committee chief in protest against arrest practices

Opposition MP Taguhi Tovmasyan handed a symbolic pair of handcuffs to Investigative Committee Chairman Artur Poghosyan at a parliamentary debate on Wednesday, criticizing what she called excessive use of pre-trial detention.

Tovmasyan accused law enforcement authorities of frequently requesting arrests that later result in milder measures, saying detentions were being used without sufficient justification. She urged Poghosyan to “remember that taking people into custody is not always the right decision.”

Pro-government MP Vladimir Vardanyan, head of the National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, intervened, calling the gesture inappropriate and reminding that gifts to officials must be declared. Tovmasyan replied the item was inexpensive and accused Vardanyan of obstructing her parliamentary work.

She argued that despite large state funding, the Investigative Committee remained inefficient and politically driven in pursuing cases.