Armenian Defence Committee chair says son avoided military service because he is ‘high-class’
The chair of the Armenian Parliament’s Defence and Security Committee, Andranik Kocharyan, has come under fire for saying that his son did not complete his mandatory military service because he is a ‘very high-class guy’.
Kocharyan, who is a member of the ruling Civil Contract party, said during a press briefing on Monday that ‘If you had knowledge at his level, you wouldn’t serve either’.
According to media reports, his son, Levon Kocharyan, defended his PhD dissertation in 2020, avoiding military service. He reportedly currently works for an insurance company in Armenia.
Kocharyan’s remarks sparked criticism from activists in Armenia, who called on him to apologise for making a discriminatory statement which could imply that those serving in the army are ‘low-class.’
Following his remarks, some critics have suggested that Kocharyan ‘does not fit’ his role as chair of the committee.
Health Minister and Civil Contract member Anahit Avanesyan, whose two sons are currently serving in the military, has also criticised Kocharyan, stating that ‘worthy and bright men serve in the Armenian Army, who choose to fulfill their duty to the homeland also before completing their studies’.
Avanesyan also called herself a ‘proud mom of two soldiers’.
Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of the Defence Committee, wrote on Facebook that Kocharyan was ‘the face and indicator of the ruling regime, revealing the authorities’ real attitude toward the army and soldiers’.
Speaking to RFE/RL, activist Janna Alexanyan noted that with such a statement, Kocharyan ‘just wants to emphasise [his] privileged and special status’.
‘What does an ordinary citizen think when they hear this, or those living in socially vulnerable conditions, whose sons are necessarily serving?’ Alexanyan said, adding that Kocharyan’s son ‘cannot be higher than any other soldier.’
After facing criticism for his remarks, Kocharyan issued an apology on Tuesday morning.
He claimed that he had ‘intended to emphasise how much education and engagement in scientific activity are valued under the legislation of Armenia, and that individuals who are willing to serve the state with their scientific potential are given such an opportunity’.
Kocharyan further added that his other son ‘served in the Armed Forces of Armenia and participated’ in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020.
Kocharyan has previously faced criticism after insulting a journalist in 2025, an incident for which he has refused to apologise. He has also been accused of promoting genocide denial.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
