The ACC, which is also responsible for overseeing the ethical behavior of officials, said it reached this conclusion on the first complaint after several linguistic examinations determined that the word used by the premier was “vulgar, coarse, and indecent.”
As part of the probe, which lasted more than two months, the ACC asked Pashinian to clarify his use of an Armenian verb equivalent to the English verb “bang” in a sexual context. Pashinian used the verb in discussing an unnamed clergyman in a Facebook post on May 30.
According to the ACC, the premier’s position is that “the word is colloquial but not indecent”, and that “it was used in the context of defending the values of the Holy Church.”
Members of Pashinian’s political team shared this view, seeing no issue with the use of such language. Srbuhi Galian, the minister of justice in Pashinian’s cabinet, in particular, described it as language “containing sharp nuances.”
“If it does not cross the boundary of legality, I think there is no problem here,” she said.
A language expert invited by the ACC found that the verb, which has other meanings too, began to be associated in colloquial Armenian with sexual intercourse starting in the 2000s. However, the expert refrained from speculating on which meaning the prime minister intended.
The ACC ultimately concluded that Pashinian used the word in its meaning of “having sexual intercourse.”
The Committee found that, by using the word in his social media post, the prime minister “violated the principles of decency and respect; he must realize the special influence his words may have on the culture of public debate and the reputation of others.”
The ACC also found Pashinian in breach of ethnics for using another word against an opposition lawmaker that roughly translates to “drudge”, but exonerated him regarding accusations of “erratic anger” toward opposition members during a question-and-answer session in parliament in May.
According to the ACC, Pashinian expressed regret over the incident and stated that his words and actions were not intended as personal insults or threats.
The ACC concluded that while Pashinian was angry and was speaking loudly, no personal insults were directed at lawmakers. It described the incident as part of an ongoing dispute and said that although Pashinian’s general rhetoric was “provocative and shocking”, it was an acceptable reaction to criticism in a political debate.
Regarding the word in question, the ACC stated that regardless of an opponent’s behavior, a public official must remain restrained, polite, and decent. It deemed the word insulting and its use a violation of rules of conduct.
Under Armenian legislation, the prime minister must provide “clarifications” on the government website regarding the breaches found by the ACC within three days after the publication of the findings.