Jailed ringleader of the 1999 Armenian parliament attack applies for early release
Nairi Hunanyan, who is sentenced to life imprisonment over the 1999 shooting in the Armenian parliament, has applied for early release from prison, Panorama.am learnt from the Penitentiary Service of the country’s Ministry of Justice.
According to the source, the petition was received on September 11 and the decision over the case is expected to be made within 80-day period by the respective bodies. It is noted that that the application by Hunanyan referred to the legal provision for prisoners serving life sentences who are entitled to apply for parole after 20-year of imprisonment.
Hunanyan along with four other gunmen organized the terrorist attack on the Armenian parliament on October 27, 1999, killing Armenia’s then Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsian, Parliamentary Speaker Karen Demirchyan and six other officials. In his statement. The attackers surrendered on October 28. The five gunmen were later each sentenced to eight life sentences.