YEREVAN. – Armenian presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan’s election campaign headquarters is not in a hurry to make any statement on the assassination attempt against the presidential contender.  

But the headquarters will hold a press conference on Saturday at capital city Yerevan’s Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center, where Hayrikyan is hospitalized, the headquarters informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Manya Ayvazyan, who coordinates the activities of Hayrikyan’s campaign headquarters, told Armenian News-NEWS.am that no threats were made in recent times and they had not noticed anything bizarre on Thursday, either. Also, Ayvazyan informed that they had gone campaigning on Thursday and Hayrikyan had gone to a television company, after 5pm, to take part in a program, and Ayvazyan had not seen Hayrikyan after that.       

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, an assassination attempt was made against presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan, on Thursday at 11:30pm in downtown Yerevan. Hayrikyan was shot in the chest and hospitalized with a gunshot wound in the right clavicle. He is in undergoing treatment at the intensive care department.

Numerous senior officials, politicians, and other presidential contenders have come to the hospital.

A criminal case is opened in connection with the assassination attempt against Paruyr Hayrikyan. It is launched on charges of carrying out an assassination attempt against a statesman, political or public figure, which—that is, the attempt—is carried out to end this person’s noted activities. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for 12-20 years, or life in prison.    

The National Security Service is conducting the investigation.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am