Armenian speaker calls ex-president Kocharyan a ‘Russian spy’ in political statement

Armenian parliamentary speaker Alen Simonyan accused former president Robert Kocharyan of being a “Russian spy,” saying the allegation was a political statement based on analysis rather than evidence.

Speaking to reporters, Simonyan said he had no concrete proof of espionage but claimed that Kocharyan and his opposition bloc, "Hayastan," echo Russian narratives.

Simonyan also accused Russia of waging a “hybrid war” against Armenia, warning that such efforts may intensify ahead of the country’s 2026 parliamentary elections. In response to a follow-up question, he said that funding for these activities was coming from Russia.