Friday, October 25 2019 10:32

ArmInfo. The investigation into the circumstances of the "October 27 case" needs to be resumed. A similar opinion was expressed by ArmInfo, the representative of the  successors of Karen Demirchyan, Ashot Sargsyan.

"Given that not only the relatives of the victims, but also the state  suffered as a result of this crime, the Prosecutor General's Office  should resume this process in order to achieve a full investigation  of all the circumstances of this tragedy. To this end, it is  necessary to create a group that will deal with this matter," he  said.

On October 27, 1999, a group of terrorists led by Nairi Hunanyan  broke into the conference room of the National Assembly, shooting the  leaders and members of the parliament and government of the republic  who were there. The victims of terrorism were the Prime Minister of  Armenia Vazgen Sargsyan, the Speaker of the Parliament Karen  Demirchyan, the Vice Speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, the  Minister for Operational Affairs Leonard Petrosyan, the deputies of  the parliament Armenak Armenakyan, Henrik Abrahamyan, Mikael  Kotanyan. The trial of terrorists lasted from 2001 to 2003. The  indictment required capital punishment. However, as a result of the  abolition of the death penalty in Armenia in September 2003, six  terrorists, including the leader of the Unanyan group, were sentenced  to life imprisonment. Another terrorist, Hamlet Stepanyan, was  sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Commenting on Nairi Hunanyan's petition for early release, the lawyer  did not agree with the view that the released Hunanyan could become a  valuable source of information for the disclosure of the "October 27  case." According to him, the relatives of the victims already have  bad experience in cooperation with Unanyan's uncle Vram Galstyan. The  latter asked during the court to meet with relatives of the victims,  voicing a desire to make an important statement. However, an  important statement came down to Galstyan's request for forgiveness.  Sargsyan is convinced that Galstyan was simply forbidden to speak.   The lawyer is convinced that the opening of the "October 27 case"  should not begin with the testimony of Hunanyan, but with a  collection of facts, based on which interrogations will subsequently  be conducted.  According to Sargsyan, a large number of facts have  already been collected and the identification of the organizers of  this tragedy should take place on the basis and under the pressure of  these facts.

"We are very dissatisfied with the results of the preliminary  investigation in this case. I am convinced that his many shortcomings  are the result of the influence of the authorities on the  investigation process. In particular, on the then military prosecutor  Gagik Dzhangiryan, who headed the process, the latter went to the  president on the way and refused to disclose the details of the case,  citing the position of military prosecutor, "the lawyer concluded.