YEREVAN, April 17 - RAPSI, Gamlet Matevosyan. New charges have been brought against Armenian epic poetry expert and former presidential candidate Vardan Sedrakyan, who was arrested on charges of ordering the murder of another presidential candidate, head of the opposition Union for National Self-Determination Paruyr Hayrikyan.

Sedrakyan was charged on March 5 under the article on attempted murder of a statesman, politician or public figure and was arrested the same day. The new charges brought against him on April 16 concern the same crime, but accuse him of committing it with the help of accomplices. This carries a longer sentence, up to life imprisonment.

The politician has not admitted guilt and has refused to testify.

Hayrikyan was shot in the shoulder on January 31. Two suspects were detained on February 7, Khachatur Pogosyan, 47, previously convicted for drug dealing, and Samvel Arutyunyan, 41. They have admitted their guilt. The police found the revolver used in the assassination attempt in Pogosyans flat. It has also emerged that they both used to work for Sedrakyan.