YEREVAN.- A shooting attack on Paruyr Hayrikyan is directed not only against the candidate and a politician but Armenia’s statehood, President Serzh Sargsyan said in hospital where Hayrikyan was taken.

“Those standing behind the crime obviously had a goal to affect a natural course of the electoral process. We are confident that law enforcers would do their utmost to solve the case,” Sargsyan told reporters.

President Sargsyan expressed confidence that Hayrikyan would recover soon.

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 around 11:20pm in downtown Yerevan, in front of his home. Hayrikyan was shot and hospitalized with a gunshot wound . He underwent a successful surgery Friday morning, and a bullet—which was located in the soft tissues of his right elbow shoulder—was removed. 

Numerous senior officials, politicians, and other presidential contenders are coming to the hospital to visit him.

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