YEREVAN. – This is plain defamation. Armenian presidential candidate, opposition Heritage Party Chairman, former FM Raffi Hovannisian’s campaign headquarters press secretary Hovsep Khurshudyan told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am, commenting on fellow presidential contender, non-party affiliate, epic poetry specialist Vardan Sedrakyan’s accusations that Hovannisian is behind the recent assassination attempt against fellow presidential hopeful, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan. 

“That person [that is, Sedrakyan] talks nonsense every day. [But] I believe this [accusation] has exceeded all limits. This is plain defamation, and it is also comprehensible as to who is guiding it. Numerous citizens have decided that Raffi Hovannisian will be Armenia’s next president. [And] it is apparent as to whom this poses a threat and who could have guided this person,” Khurshudyan said specifically.        

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, Sedrakyan accused Hovannisian of masterminding the recent assassination attempt against Hayrikyan. During a press conference on Thursday, Sedrakyan noted that he has reasonable grounds to believe that the assassination attempt was organized by a Freemasonry organization that conducts activities in Western Europe and the US. As per Sedrakyan, Raffi Hovannisian and his father, American-Armenian historian Richard Hovannisian, are members of these Freemasonry lodges. Furthermore, Sedrakyan noted that he knew for a long time that something is being orchestrated against him.      

To note, according to information circulating in Armenia’s media, the two suspects of the aforesaid assassination attempt know Vardan Sedrakyan, and the latter stated most recently that he will be detained in a foreseeable future.   

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am