Nairi Hunanyan may apply for lawful release, but he is 20 years late. Andranik Kocharyan, Chair of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Defense and Security—and who was the national security and defense adviser to then Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan on October 27, 1999—on Wednesday told this to reporters in parliament.

According to him, "October 27" was a monstrous terrorist act that suspended the whole prospect of Armenia, and it lasted for 20 years.

“In 1999, the people of Armenia had the opportunity to form a legitimate government, in the name of Vazgen Sargsyan and Karen Demirchyan,” Kocharyan said. “I regret that this opportunity was not allowed for this government to be able to lead Armenia to the changes that we are already seeing 20 years later. Twenty years ago the people of Armenia formed such a government, but it was beheaded by Nairi Hunanyan and his group.

“Twenty years later, Nairi Hunanyan has the opportunity to apply and be released. I would say that Nairi Hunanyan had the opportunity 20 years ago for the preliminary investigation against him to be mitigated if he, as a result of the cooperation with the preliminary investigation body, allowed Armenia to grasp what happened on October 27.”

Kocharyan emphasized that if today Nairi Hunanyan has information that will enable to finally know what happened on October 27, he should first say that.