YEREVAN. – The court hearing into the case on the assassination attempt against Paruyr Hayrikyan reconvened on Thursday.

The defendants in the case are former presidential contender Vardan Sedrakyan as well as Khachatur Poghosyan and Samvel Harutyunyan.

Poghosyan testified Thursday, and stated that he just wanted to scare Hayrikyan, Pastinfo reports. He stated that he wanted to shoot in the air, but the first shot had hit Hayrikyan due to the latter’s irregular movements. The defendant added that he subsequently had told Hayrikyan to be quiet, but the latter had not kept quiet. As a result, as per Poghosyan, he had fired another shot and left the scene.

The defendant also stated that Samvel Harutyunyan had told him that, “someone needs to be intimidated,” but had not said for what purpose. As per the defendant, on the second day after the assassination attempt, Harutyunyan had told him: “If they catch us, we will say that Vardan Sedrakyan had said so.” In the defendant’s view, Sedrakyan was a presidential candidate at the time, and therefore he would help them.               

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman, ex-presidential candidate Paruyr Hayrikyan was wounded as a result of an assassination attempt that was staged against him on January 31 at around 11:20pm in downtown Yerevan, in front of his home, and during the campaign season for the presidential election that was held on February 18. First, he was transferred to capital city Yerevan’s Surb Grigor Lusavorich (Saint Gregory the Illuminator) Medical Center, where he was operated on. Subsequently, he was taken to the rehabilitation center of the Armenian Red Cross Society. Next, Hayrikyan headed to Belgium for treatment, and he underwent a surgery there.     

In the criminal case that was launched into this assassination attempt, ex-presidential candidate, non-party affiliate, and epic poetry specialist Vardan Sedrakyan—who is imprisoned—is charged with organizing the attempted murder of a state, political, or a public figure. Also, Khachatur Poghosyan is charged with attempted murder of a state, political, or a public figure and with illegal acquiring, possession and use of a weapon; and Samvel Harutyunyan is charged with attempted murder of a state, political, or a public figure.