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Nonpartisan MP Taguhi Tovmasyan has asked Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to order a probe into the “false allegations” made against her by Taron Chakhoyan, the deputy chief of Pashinyan’s staff. Below is her full statement issued on Friday.

"I have addressed a formal request to the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, urging him to instruct law enforcement agencies to investigate the false allegations made against me by Taron Chakhoyan, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Government.

To provide context, the day before, I sent letters to my international partners highlighting concerning violations of personal data protection involving Hovik Aghazaryan. In these letters, I presented both domestic legislation and international legal norms that prohibit the public disclosure of private correspondence. I also emphasized that websites affiliated with Taron Chakhoyan published targeted articles about Hovik Aghazaryan’s sexual orientation.

Following these communications, which stem from my public and political activities, I have become the target of Taron Chakhoyan. Through his social media page and affiliated websites, he has made defamatory and irresponsible statements about me. Furthermore, he has spread an entirely false story, claiming that years ago, I unlawfully recorded Nikol Pashinyan’s remarks during a meeting and provided them to Serzh Sargsyan. He also alleged that I have consistently leaked information from meetings of the Civil Contract party.

Since the claims made are not only a matter of civil liability but also require criminal assessment, I have DEMANDED that Nikol Pashinyan instruct law enforcement authorities to

• Identify who recorded the alleged audio, under what circumstances, and when it was passed to Serzh Sargsyan.

• Investigate who attended that meeting, how the recording was made, and how it was transferred to Serzh Sargsyan.

• Demand that Taron Chakhoyan provide evidence supporting his statements. If he fails to do so, initiate legal proceedings against him for false accusations.

• Verify which Civil Contract meetings I allegedly attended and what leaks I supposedly orchestrated. If he cannot provide evidence for these claims, his responsibility for false allegations must be addressed.

I would like to CLARIFY that:

➢ I did not attend the meeting on the day of the alleged illegal recording, meaning I could not have recorded it (noting that I categorically disapprove of covert recordings).

➢ Starting in 2019, I deliberately refrained from participating in Civil Contract faction meetings for two years to avoid accusations of leaks. Therefore, I could not have leaked information from meetings I did not attend.

I EXPECT a prompt response from Nikol Pashinyan, as this issue is directly linked to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Government, who is targeting me for my political and human rights advocacy.

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Illegal recordings constitute a violation of the law, and those responsible should be held accountable.

Equally, making false accusations regarding such recordings, especially by a state official, must also result in accountability.

Taron Chakhoyan is a liar."