YEREVAN. – Armenian capital city Yerevan’s Kentron and Nork-Marash General Jurisdiction Court held a closed hearing on Sunday. 

At the end, the court ruled in favor of the petition that was submitted by the National Security Service investigation agency, and sentenced to two months in prison Khachatur Poghosyan, 46, and Samvel Harutyunyan, 40, who were detained on suspicion of carrying out an assassination attempt against presidential candidate, opposition National Self-Determination Union Chairman Paruyr Hayrikyan, who is recovering at hospital from a gunshot wound.

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. 

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. And on Thursday, formerly convicted Khachatur Poghosyan (born in 1966), and Samvel Harutyunyan (born in 1972) were detained on suspicion of carrying out an assassination attempt against Paruyr Hayrikyan.