Hampik Sasunyan, Sentenced to Life for the Killing of Turkish Consul in Los Angeles, is Free and in Armenia

Hampik Sasunyan, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1984 for the murder of Turkish consul Kemal Arıkan in Los Angeles, is now free and in Armenia. This is reported by Asparez.

In a message to the Armenian people, he mentioned that after approximately 40 years, he has the honor to be on his homeland, to drink its water, breathe its air, and feel the warmth of friendship.

Hampik Sasunyan (born 1963 in Beirut, Lebanon) was a member of the secret organization "Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide". On the morning of January 28, 1982, 19-year-old Hampik shot and killed the Turkish consul Kemal Arıkan at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Comstock Avenue in Los Angeles while his car was stopped at a red light.

Following his arrest, the US court sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of appeal. The court chose the life sentence, concluding that the motive for the murder was national hatred, although the defendant stated in court that he acted in revenge for the Armenian Genocide.

Twice, in 2006 and 2010, US courts denied Sasunyan's petitions for clemency. Requests from Sasunyan's lawyers for early release were also rejected. On December 27, 2019, a California court granted Hampik Sasunyan's request for early release after 37 years of imprisonment.