A three-member parole board unanimously turned down Sirhan's parole bid after an 80-minute hearing at Corcoran State Prison, 150 miles north of Los Angeles.

The 53-year-old Palestinian immigrant will not be eligible for another hearing for the next three years.

Sirhan, wearing a light-blue shirt and with his black hair closely cropped, repeatedly tried to tell the parole board there was new evidence that would show he did not murder Kennedy.

"I believe that I am innocent of this crime," Sirhan told the board. He did not say what the new evidence was because the parole board members told him they were not going to retry his original trial.

The claim was an about-face for Sirhan who had previously admitted the shooting and then claimed amnesia.

Sirhan shot Kennedy at a Los Angeles hotel on June 5, 1968 as the U.S. senator was celebrating his victory in the California primary which made him the leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

According to news reports, Sirhan was once an enthusiastic supporter of Kennedy, but felt betrayed when Kennedy advocated selling Phantom bombers to Israel.

"I'm ready to live in compliance with the law and I'm ready to live as a normal citizen," Sirhan told the board. "Please give me that chance in light of the fact that I am innocent of this crime."

"The evidence that is there now and has been researched by my researcher and by my family shows that I was unjustly and wrongfully convicted for this crime," Sirhan said.

"There is demonstratable, physical evidence that shows that gross injustice, deliberate injustice and ... just an out-and-out frameup of this case took place by the district attorney to convict me," he protested.

Sirhan said he was sorry for "this whole mess" but he stopped short of expressing remorse for the crime.

Sirhan said he could not remember specific events on the night of the assassination. When asked why he was carrying a gun, he declined to answer.

"I've done my time, I've behaved myself," he said, adding that he could live with his brother if released.

Sirhan was originally sentenced to death but the sentence was changed in 1972 to life imprisonment after California's death penalty was ruled unconstitutional.

Lawrence Teeter, Sirhan's attorney, argued that Sirhan was virtually a model prisoner and would not pose a threat to society if released. He said Sirhan had a job waiting for him as an historical researcher.

However, parole board commissioner Steve Baker repeatedly chided Teeter during the hearing for trying to retry the case and, after several terse exchanges, ordered him to be quiet.

Deputy District Attorney Thomas Trapp said it was shocking that Sirhan could "sit here after all these years and say that he is innocent." At his trial, Sirhan admitted killing Kennedy in an outburst, he said.

©Reuters Ltd - Thursday, 19th June 1997 All rights reserved.
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