He snapped at the male journalist who asked him to explain why Levon Kocharian has not served in the Armenian armed forces unlike most of his peers.
“My son is a very talented boy,” he said. “If you had as much knowledge as he, you wouldn't serve either.”
The remark was reminiscent of a scandalous statement made in January this year by another senior lawmaker representing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian’s Civil Contract party. The lawmaker, Hripsime Hunanian, declared on the parliament floor that Armenian male students enrolled in foreign universities deserve to avoid military service because Armenia needs “not only soldiers but also smart heads.”
The statement provoked a storm of criticism on social media, with even some ruling party figures accusing Hunanian of denigrating Armenian soldiers. As a result, the former nurse resigned as chairwoman of the parliament committee on healthcare.
Kocharian’s remark was similarly condemned by Zhanna Aleksanian, a veteran human rights campaigner.
“Is Andranik Kocharian claiming that his son is more ‘talented’ that the boys drafted to the army?” Aleksanian told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “His son cannot be above any soldier. He just wants to emphasize their privileged status.”
Kocharian Jr. qualified for his exemption after receiving a postgraduate degree in 2020 only one year after completing his postgraduate studies during which he was eligible for military service deferment. The opposition-linked media outlet Yerevan.today reported at the time that the Armenian Defense Ministry extended the deferment in 2019 on highly suspicious health grounds.
Andranik Kocharian is notorious for frequent arguments with the press corps caused by his rude comments. In March 2025, he raged at a female reporter who approached him together with other parliamentary correspondents. The 64-year-old told the reporter, Hripsime Jebejian, to “clean your lips” when she demanded an explanation for his rude refusal to answer her questions.
Journalists as well as Armenia’s leading media associations expressed outrage at Kocharian’s behavior. As many as 161 journalists signed afterwards a petition demanding a parliamentary ethics inquiry into the senior lawmaker. The parliament’s pro-government majority rejected the demand backed by opposition deputies.