YEREVAN, OCTOBER 27, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Security Affairs MP Andranik Kocharyan publicly asked the new Prosecutor-General of Armenia to be coherent in the probe of the 27 October 1999 parliament shooting.

Speaking to reporters, Kocharyan said he believes that today there is a chance to fully reveal the crime.

“The October 27 case being continuously unresolved doesn’t give us the opportunity to build domestic solidarity in our country and abandon distrustfulness. Thus, I am asking the prosecutor-general on this day to be coherent regarding all issues pertaining to resolving the October 27 case. Even at this moment there is an opportunity for fully revealing October 27 [case],” Kocharyan said on the anniversary of the attack.

Kocharyan said that many witnesses have died over the course of the years since the attack took place, but still there are prospects to reveal the case. He said that if no progress happened during so many years it means that there have been obstructing circumstances, and these circumstances must also be revealed.

23 years ago on this day, a group of five heavily armed gunmen led by Nairi Hunanyan stormed into the parliament while it was in session and assassinated Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Speaker Karen Demirchyan, Deputy Speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, as well as three lawmakers and a Cabinet member. The gunmen held the remaining MPs hostage until surrendering to authorities the next day.

There have since been many theories on possible masterminds, including possible foreign involvement behind the attack. An investigation was reopened in 2019.