October 27 - most tragic and shameful page of our history
October 27, 1999, is the most tragic and shameful page in the history of independent Armenia.
On that day, a group of criminals laid hands on the country's state symbols. Five armed terrorists led by Nairi Hunanian broke into the building of the National Assembly and shot the country's key figures - NA Speaker, Prime Minister, Deputy Speakers, State Minister and MPs.
The power in Armenia was beheaded on October 27, 1999.
Eight people were shot dead - National Assembly Speaker Karen Demirtchian, Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Vice-Speakers Yury Bakhshian and Ruben Miroyan, Minister Leonard Petrosyan, MPs Michael Kotanian, Henrik Abrahamyan, Armenank Armenakyan.
The shooting left a few deputies and ministers wounded. Others were taken hostage in the hall of sittings and had to look at their bleeding colleagues.
Official sources did not confirm the killings of top officials for five hours. Only after 10 p.m., the president's office issued a statement confirming the casualties and wounded. Official sources didn't confirm the assassination of the country's leaders for five hours. Only after 10 p.m., the high-ranking officials were announced killed. The bodies were removed from the parliament building late at night. he negotiations with the terrorists continued till the next morning. President Robert Kocharian personally met the group members.
The hostages were set free in the morning after the terrorists were promised security grounds.
The trial in the case of October 27 terrorist act opened in January, 2001 and lasted for three years. The trial failed to answer major questions on the terrorist act. The terrorists were sentenced to life imprisonment.
Three of them died in custody. In 2000, Norayr Yeghiazaryan, who had sold weapons to the gang, died under unknown conditions in an isolation cell. In 2004, Vram Galstyan (uncle of Nairi Hunanyan) committed suicide by hanging from a bed sheet. In Hamlet Stepanyan died of a heart attack
In 2004, National Assembly deputy Mushegh Movsisyan, 47, another key witness of the case, died of a car accident. Witnesses died one after another under mysterious conditions outside Armenia.
Nobody believes today that the terrorists acted alone. The atrocity of October 27 still needs to be unveiled. Eleven years later, the public knows as much of the terrorist attack as on October 27, 1999.
