Tweet
Man convicted in alleged plot to kill Armenian leaders
AP Worldstream
Aug 06, 2005
A man accused of helping plot the assassination of several top Armenian
officials last year was convicted Saturday and received a five-year
suspended sentence.
Gagik Grigorian was found guilty of helping plan an abortive attempt to
kill the Caucasus Mountain nation's prime minister, defense minister,
Constitutional Court chairman and other officials at a hunting lodge
last year.
Prosecutors had asked for a prison sentence of more than seven years,
but the court gave Grigorian a lighter sentence because they said he
acknowledged guilt, apologized and cooperated with investigators in
the former Soviet republic.
The man prosecutors say organized the alleged plot, former
Communications Minister Eduard Madatian, fled the country shortly
before the killings were supposed to have taken place and is said to
be living in Russia, where he has citizenship.
Prosecutors claim the alleged plotters planned to later kill President
Robert Kocharian.
Grigorian was arrested after an alleged co-conspirator, Misha
Khudaverdian, told authorities of the alleged plot. Khudaverdian,
who served as a witness in the trial, said Grigorian gave him money
to buy an anti-tank mine and detonator.
Politics are tense and occasionally violent in Armenia. In 1999,
the country was shocked by an attack in which gunmen burst into
parliament and killed the prime minister, parliament speaker and six
other officials and lawmakers.
AP Worldstream
Aug 06, 2005
A man accused of helping plot the assassination of several top Armenian
officials last year was convicted Saturday and received a five-year
suspended sentence.
Gagik Grigorian was found guilty of helping plan an abortive attempt to
kill the Caucasus Mountain nation's prime minister, defense minister,
Constitutional Court chairman and other officials at a hunting lodge
last year.
Prosecutors had asked for a prison sentence of more than seven years,
but the court gave Grigorian a lighter sentence because they said he
acknowledged guilt, apologized and cooperated with investigators in
the former Soviet republic.
The man prosecutors say organized the alleged plot, former
Communications Minister Eduard Madatian, fled the country shortly
before the killings were supposed to have taken place and is said to
be living in Russia, where he has citizenship.
Prosecutors claim the alleged plotters planned to later kill President
Robert Kocharian.
Grigorian was arrested after an alleged co-conspirator, Misha
Khudaverdian, told authorities of the alleged plot. Khudaverdian,
who served as a witness in the trial, said Grigorian gave him money
to buy an anti-tank mine and detonator.
Politics are tense and occasionally violent in Armenia. In 1999,
the country was shocked by an attack in which gunmen burst into
parliament and killed the prime minister, parliament speaker and six
other officials and lawmakers.