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15 YEARS LATER: ARMENIA PARLIAMENT SHOOTING
In court, the leader of the group insisted the terrorist act was
meant to "rid Armenia from the anti-national regime."
On October 27, 1999, five men led by journalist and former ARFD member
Nairi Hunanyan, armed with Kalashnikov rifles hidden under long coats,
broke into the National Assembly building, shooting dead Prime Minister
Vazgen Sargsyan, deputy parliament speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben
Miroyan, Operative Issues Minister Leonard Petrosyan, MPs Armenak
Armenakyan, Mikael Kotanyan and Henrik Abrahamyan.
October 27, 2014
PanARMENIAN.Net - The trial on the case launched February 15, 2001,
with brothers Nairi and Karen Hunanyan, Edik Grigoryan, Vram Galstyan,
Derenik Bejanyan and Ashot Knyazyan given life terms. (Galstyan died
in prison in 2004, suicide named the official cause of death.) Hamlet
Stepanyan was sentenced to 14 years in jail. (He died in custody
in May 2010.) The group was found guilty on charges of high treason
and terrorism.
The trial on the case lasted 3 years. Neither the preliminary
investigation nor the court examination shed light on whether the
terrorists acted on their own or on someone's instigation. A separate
case aiming to uncover possible masterminds behind the crime reached
an impasse.
At the time, investigators, on the insistence of the government,
focused on a version suggesting the country's leadership was involved
in the shooting. However, political opponents of then president Robert
Kocharyan found no evidence to support the version, despite the fact
that it was present-day oppositionists that presided over the cabinet
of ministers and controlled the prosecutor's office.
The leader of the group, however, continues insisting the terrorist
act was meant to "rid Armenia from the anti-national regime," with the
other perpetrators sharing the view. According to the testimonies,
PM Sargsyan was the only target of the attack, with other victims
killed by chance. The perpetrators intended to force the hostages into
announcing dissolution of the parliament and launch of democratic
elections. Hunanyan meant to assume leadership before the results
of the election. Wednesday's question and answer session at the
parliament was picked for the terrorist act, finding weapons and
infiltrating the government building proving an easy task. However,
contrary to Hunanyan's expectations, his call to fellow citizens to
support the revolution was met without enthusiasm.
Attempts to politicize the case had been made throughout the period
of investigation, with the killed leaders' brothers' currently
heading the parliamentary opposition exacerbating the fact. Several
reasons caused the case to drag out for 3 years: presidential and
parliamentary elections contributed to the delay, as well as Armenia's
newly-assumed obligation to the Council of Europe to abolish capital
punishment. Opposition insisted on executing the terrorists, to loud
objections from Strasbourg. The country's political leadership took
half a year to persuade legislators to refuse the idea of execution
for Hunanyan.
From: Baghdasarian
In court, the leader of the group insisted the terrorist act was
meant to "rid Armenia from the anti-national regime."
On October 27, 1999, five men led by journalist and former ARFD member
Nairi Hunanyan, armed with Kalashnikov rifles hidden under long coats,
broke into the National Assembly building, shooting dead Prime Minister
Vazgen Sargsyan, deputy parliament speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben
Miroyan, Operative Issues Minister Leonard Petrosyan, MPs Armenak
Armenakyan, Mikael Kotanyan and Henrik Abrahamyan.
October 27, 2014
PanARMENIAN.Net - The trial on the case launched February 15, 2001,
with brothers Nairi and Karen Hunanyan, Edik Grigoryan, Vram Galstyan,
Derenik Bejanyan and Ashot Knyazyan given life terms. (Galstyan died
in prison in 2004, suicide named the official cause of death.) Hamlet
Stepanyan was sentenced to 14 years in jail. (He died in custody
in May 2010.) The group was found guilty on charges of high treason
and terrorism.
The trial on the case lasted 3 years. Neither the preliminary
investigation nor the court examination shed light on whether the
terrorists acted on their own or on someone's instigation. A separate
case aiming to uncover possible masterminds behind the crime reached
an impasse.
At the time, investigators, on the insistence of the government,
focused on a version suggesting the country's leadership was involved
in the shooting. However, political opponents of then president Robert
Kocharyan found no evidence to support the version, despite the fact
that it was present-day oppositionists that presided over the cabinet
of ministers and controlled the prosecutor's office.
The leader of the group, however, continues insisting the terrorist
act was meant to "rid Armenia from the anti-national regime," with the
other perpetrators sharing the view. According to the testimonies,
PM Sargsyan was the only target of the attack, with other victims
killed by chance. The perpetrators intended to force the hostages into
announcing dissolution of the parliament and launch of democratic
elections. Hunanyan meant to assume leadership before the results
of the election. Wednesday's question and answer session at the
parliament was picked for the terrorist act, finding weapons and
infiltrating the government building proving an easy task. However,
contrary to Hunanyan's expectations, his call to fellow citizens to
support the revolution was met without enthusiasm.
Attempts to politicize the case had been made throughout the period
of investigation, with the killed leaders' brothers' currently
heading the parliamentary opposition exacerbating the fact. Several
reasons caused the case to drag out for 3 years: presidential and
parliamentary elections contributed to the delay, as well as Armenia's
newly-assumed obligation to the Council of Europe to abolish capital
punishment. Opposition insisted on executing the terrorists, to loud
objections from Strasbourg. The country's political leadership took
half a year to persuade legislators to refuse the idea of execution
for Hunanyan.
From: Baghdasarian