Armenian MP survives armed attack – agency
Arminfo, Yerevan
9 Apr 07
9 April: There was an attempt on the life of another Republican Party
member, MP Hakop Hakopyan (nickname Choyt), at 0030 Yerevan time on 8
April [1900 gmt on 7 April].
Unidentified people fired on a BMW 552 owned by Hakopyan’s brother. In
an interview with Arminfo, the MP admitted that he drives the
car. Luckily, Hakopyan was not in the car at the moment it came under
fire. No-one was injured in the attack.
The unidentified people fired using a Kalashnikov assault
rifle. Hakopyan said that he was investigating the incident himself,
adding that he had already achieved some results.
The MP said that he suspected certain people of committing the
crime. He added that the attackers were not residents of the town of
Vagapshapat (Echmiadzin).
Asked if the crime was political in nature, Hakopyan found the
question difficult to answer. He said that he had informed the
law-enforcement agencies of the incident.
Hakopyan is running for parliament under the first-past-the-post
system in constituency No 19 in Echmiadzin. However, the Republican
Party, which Hakopyan is a member of, supports another candidate in
this consttiuency. The candidate is Seyran Saroyan, a former commander
of the Fourth Military Corps.
Hakopyan is currently being investigated on charges of organizing an
armed attack and committing fraud.
On early 8 April unidentified people set fire to the election
headquarters of Susanna Arutyunyan, another candidate in constituency
No 19. The headquarters was in front of Seyran Saroyan’s house.