YEREVAN. – The pain has intensified in the hand of Armenia’s presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman (NSU) Paruyr Hayrikyan, who is recovering at hospital from a gunshot wound after an assassination attempt. Hayrikyan’s friend, NSU Public Relations Officer, and the candidate’s election campaign headquarters representative Garo Yegnukian told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. 

As per Yegnukian, a hematoma has started in Hayrikyan’s right hand and the nerve was damaged. Also, depending on his health and several other circumstances, the NSU leader could change his mind and petition to the Constitutional Court (CC) with a formal request to postpone the presidential election for two weeks. But they will make the final decision no later than Sunday.     

Yegnukian noted that Hayrikyan’s condition was relatively good on Monday, and that is why they thought all health issues were surmounted; but the pain is recurring. The other fact is that, by not applying to CC, they had left this door open for the other presidential candidates but, instead, the latter began accusing Hayrikyan.   

As per the NSU representative, the second factor is that they still do not know anything about the particulars of the assassination attempt; there is no official information with respect to the incident. 

“[And] when there is no official information, the ill-wishers do their job. As a result, instead of spending the remaining little time on the election campaign, we are wasting [it] on refuting the theories,” Garo Yegnukian maintained.       

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Paruyr Hayrikyan announced Tuesday that he will not petition to the Constitutional Court with a formal request to postpone the presidential election, and therefore the vote will be conducted on February 18, as planned. Hayrikyan explained his reason for this by saying he does not wish to contribute to the plans to forcibly change Armenia’s political agenda.   

To note, an assassination attempt was made against presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan, on January 31 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 on the morning of February 1, and a bullet—which was located in the soft tissues of his right elbow shoulder—was removed. 

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.    

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am