January 22, 2004 - 22:34 AMT
ARMENIAN COURT OF APPEAL UPHELD VERDICT REGARDING EXECUTORS OF TERRORIST ACT IN PARLIAMENT IN 1999
The Armenian Court of Appeal for military and criminal cases today announced the verdict on the case of the act of terrorism in the Armenian Parliament in 1999, which resulted in the death of parliament and government leaders and members. It should be reminded that the verdict of the court of first instance of December 2, 2003 was appealed against by three out of the seven convicts - Ashot Knyazian and Edik Grigorian, sentenced to life imprisonment, as well as Hamlet Stepanian, condemned to 14 years of deprivation of liberty. Regarding all of them the Court of Appeal upheld the verdict of the court of first instance. The Court of Appeal sentence can be appealed against in the Court of Cassation of Armenia. It should be noted that Nairi and Karen Hunanians, who organized the act of terrorism and were condemned to life imprisonment, as well as their uncle Vram Galstian and Derenik Bejanian did not address the Court of Appeal. All the seven were recognized guilty in compliance with several articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia, the most serious of which are fatherland betrayal, act of terrorism, committing especially dangerous state crimes.