On 31 January, about 23:30
Parour Hayrikyan, leader of Self Determination Union (SDU) political
party and presidential candidate 2013 elections, was shot in the yard
of Building N 9 on Tpagrichneri Street.

Today he underwent a surgery
at the Saint Grigor Illuminator medical center. It is reported that
the surgery was successful and that the life of the politician is not
in danger.

Let us remind that Mr
Hayrikyan was transferred to the hospital at midnight, with a gunshot
wound in the area of the right collar bone. “It is a blind wound,
the bullet is still in doft textiles, we will do a surgery in the
morning and remove the bullet”, says the Minister of Health Derenik
Doumanyan to the reporters earlier. He states that the wound is of
average gravity, no vital part is injured, Hayrikyan is in the
resuscitation department, feels well and is able to communicate with
visitors.

According to preliminary
reports, the politician was going home. When he went off the car, an
unknown person approached him. Hayrikyan turned to him and heard a
gunshot, and called for help. The shooter was at a close distance.
Hayrikyan's neigbours told news.am
that they heard not the sound of the shot but the scream, calling for
help, and immediately went downstairs. Hayrikyan managed to enter the
building and went upstairs to the second floor, but then fell on the
floor. The neighbors saw him in blood and called emergency.

A criminal case was
opened on the charge of attempted murder of Parouyr Hayrikyan, based
on the Art.34-305 of the Criminal Code: attempted murder of public,
state or political actor, envisaged punishment from 12 to 20 years of
imprisonment or life imprisonment.

The investigation is carried
out by the National Security Service together with Police. At the
crime scene they found a bullet with 7.62
mm diameter and assigned a complex examination. All necessary
operative and investigatory means are taken to identify the
perpetrator and locate him.

A number of high level
persons, candidates for the President’s Office as well as political
actors visited Hayrikyan in hospital.