“Anahit Bakhshyan (widow of the assassinated Deputy Speaker of Parliament - Yuri Bakhshyan) and her authorized person, have appealed against the earlier decision to dismiss the case. The complaint was satisfied by the Prosecutor General and the case was sent to the investigative body to reopen the investigation”, said Arevik Khachatryan, press secretary of the Prosecutor General's Office.
The Armenian Prosecutor's Office has decided to reopen the investigation of the terrorist act in the Parliament, which took place in 1999, Arevik Khachatryan, press secretary of the Prosecutor General's Office, told “RIA Novosti” on December 25, 2019. This was reported by “Trend.az”, citing “RIA Novosti”.
On October 27, 1999, a group of terrorists stormed the plenary hall of the National Assembly of Armenia and shot down the leaders and members of Parliament and government, who were present there.
The victims of the terrorists were the Parliament Speaker - Karen Demirchyan, the Prime Minister - Vazgen Sargsyan, the Deputy Speakers of the National Assembly - Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, the MPs - Michael Kotanyan, Armenak Armenakyan, Henrik Abrahamyan and the Minister for Operational Affairs - Leonard Petrosyan.
“Anahit Bakhshyan (widow of the assassinated Deputy Speaker of Parliament - Yuri Bakhshyan) and her authorized person, have appealed against the earlier decision to dismiss the case. The complaint was satisfied by the Prosecutor General and the case was sent to the investigative body to reopen the investigation”, Arevik Khachatryan said.
The trial of the terrorists took place in the period 2001 - 2003. Six terrorists have been sentenced to life in prison, including the group's leader Nairi Hunanyan. Another member of the group was sentenced to 14 years in prison. All seven defendants have been convicted under a number of articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia, including: high treason, terrorism, and committing especially dangerous crimes against the State.
In the course of the investigation, a criminal case was instituted, concerning the issue of the organizers of the terrorist act. It was positioned in a separate proceeding. In November 2004, the Armenian Prosecutor General's Office, decided to close the case, due to the lack of a crime.
According to the head of the investigation team, all investigative - operational methods for clarifying new facts and possible participants in the case against the organizers of the terrorist act, have been used up.