YEREVAN. – Armenian presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union (NSU) Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan—who was discharged on February 11 from capital city Yerevan’s Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center after being treated for a gunshot wound following an assassination attempt—spent Monday night at the hospital and he will stay there on Tuesday night, too, Center Director Ara Minasyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

He noted that Hayrikyan is in satisfactory health condition, and his rehabilitation and physiotherapy sessions are still in progress.

In Minasyan’s words, the NSU leader still has pain in his right hand, but the pain has reduced to some extent. The director also noted that the presidential contender will remain in hospital for at least five days.  

To note, Hayrikyan had returned to the Center after having cast his ballot in Monday’s presidential election.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, 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. 

Also, a criminal case is opened in connection with the assassination attempt against 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. On February 7, formerly convicted Khachatur Poghosyan, and Samvel Harutyunyan were detained on suspicion of carrying out an assassination attempt against Paruyr Hayrikyan. And on February 10, Poghosyan, 46, and Harutyunyan, 40 were arrested. Both have pleaded guilty.

Separately, Hayrikyan had announced, on February 1, that he planned to petition to the Constitutional Court for a postponement of the presidential election—which is slated for February 18—for two weeks. Subsequently, however, he changed his mind several times in this respect, but, ultimately, he did submit a corresponding petition to the Court on February 10. On February 11, however, he withdrew the petition and, also, he was discharged from hospital on the same day. But the presidential contender’s long campaign trips to the regions had an adverse effect on his health condition, as the pain in Hayrikyan’s right hand intensified and, as a result, he was taken back to Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am