Today’s special session of the Armenian National Assembly to discuss a government bill allowing the production of industrial hemp quickly turned into a battle of words between opposition and ruling My Step (Im Kayl) MPs over a recent revelation that the remains of Armenian soldiers killed during last year’s war in Karabakh were being stored in less than appropriate conditions.

A video recently surfaced on the internet showing body bags stacked on top of each other at the Abovyan Forensic Medical Center.

Independent MP Sofia Hovsepyan noted that no My Step MPs have yet publicly referred to the case or condemned what had happened.

Hovsepyan said that Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan should be held accountable.

Prosperous Armenia Party MP Mikael Melkumyan said that Deputy Minister of Health Grigor Simonyan should resign with his superior.

"There are no excuses for the incident. No one is trying to justify what happened. You are aware that the staff of the center has been fired, I am sure that this is a special case, it is not systemic. Today I also learned that a criminal case has been initiated. Let the investigation proceed. The guilty will be punished," Simonyan responded.

Taguhi Tovmasyan, a former My Step MP and now a member of the I Have Honor bloc, stressed that keeping the bodies of soldiers in improper conditions testifies to the attitude of the state. She said that the government is conveying the message that no one in their right mind should be willing to give their lives for the homeland.

NA Deputy Speaker Lena Nazaryan, who was chairing the sitting, was heard to mutter "idiotic". Hearing this, Tovmasyan demanded an apology for the insult.

"In my speech, I was talking about defiled corpses. In response, the chairman insulted me. Mrs. Nazaryan, I demand that you, from the podium, apologize for your impudent behavior, otherwise I will be much tougher," Tovmasyan said.

Nazaryan responded that if she does not speak about her feelings, it does not mean that she is not in pain.

"We are human, and we have patience," Nazaryan said.

Top photo: Anahit Avanesyan