Armenian lawmakers honor victims of October 27, 1999 terrorist attack

Lawmakers observed a minute of silence at the parliament’s plenary session on Tuesday in memory of the victims of the October 27, 1999 terrorist attack.

Speaker Ruben Rubinyan told MPs that exactly 27 years ago, leaders and members of the National Assembly and the government were killed in a terrorist attack in the very same parliamentary chamber.

“I propose that we observe a minute of silence in memory of the victims of this heinous crime,” Rubinyan said.

The lawmakers stood in silence to honor the victims.

On October 27, 1999, a group of five heavily armed gunmen stormed the Armenian parliament during a session and assassinated Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Speaker of Parliament Karen Demirchyan, Deputy Speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, as well as three lawmakers and a Cabinet member. The gunmen held the remaining MPs hostage until they surrendered to the authorities the following day. The perpetrators were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Over the years, various theories have emerged about possible masterminds or accomplices, including allegations of foreign involvement in the attack.

The investigation was reopened in 2019 and is ongoing.