Armenian National Assembly deputy Musheg Movsisian was arrested on November 10 during a parliament session in Yerevan on suspicion of murdering Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and seven others.

At the request of the Armenian Prosecutor-General's Office, the parliament gave its go-ahead earlier in the day to the arrest and initiation of criminal charges against Movsisian of complotting the terrorist shooting in parliament on October 27.

As many as 90 of all 96 deputies consented to Movsisian's arrest with six abstaining from voting, reported the Interfax news agency.

Addressing the assembled deputies, Armenian Prosecutor General Agvan Ovsepian said there is ample evidence that the terrorist act led by Nairi Unanian had been prepared and carried out with Movsisian's involvement.

Ovsepian said that Movsisian had "held a grudge against Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian for having made him withdraw his candidacy in the 1995 parliamentary elections."

"Movsisian was convinced that the prime minister was responsible for the serious socioeconomic situation in Armenia and wanted to kill him," he said.

Movsisian and Unanian worked out a plan under which the terrorist act was to be committed while the government and parliament members gathered in the parliament building. Following the attack, a coup was planned to be accomplished with the backing of certain political forces, said Ovsepian.

Movsisian categorically denied all the charges against him and demanded the parliament set up a commission to investigate into his case.

Parliament Speaker Karen Demirchian was among the killed on October 27, and nine parliament members and ministers were wounded.