California governor denies parole for Sirhan Sirhan, assassin of Robert Kennedy

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, has denied parole for Sirhan Sirhan, the 77-year-old who has spent more than 50 years in prison for the assassination of Robert F Kennedy.

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Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

Newsom has previously cited Kennedy as his “political hero” and wrote in his decision rejecting parole: “After decades in prison, he has failed to address the deficiencies that led him to assassinate Senator Kennedy. Mr Sirhan lacks the insight that would prevent him from making the same types of dangerous decisions he made in the past.”

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Related: Sirhan Sirhan: Robert Kennedy’s oldest son condemns killer’s possible parole

Sirhan was approved for release by the parole board last year after two of Kennedy’s sons argued in favor of his release and prosecutors did not object. The board ruled that he was not a danger to public safety in the wake of new laws that required the panel to consider that he committed the offense at a young age.

Sirhan originally faced a death sentence for the 1968 killing of Kennedy, who was a Democratic US senator from New York and the former US attorney general. He was murdered at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles moments after declaring victory in the California presidential primary. Sirhan repeatedly testified that he did not recall shooting Kennedy and injuring five others, but in his recent parole hearing, he said he took responsibility for the killing.

Douglas Kennedy, who was a toddler when his father was killed, attended last year’s hearing and urged for his release, saying he was moved to tears by Sihran’s remorse, the AP reported: “I’m overwhelmed just by being able to view Mr Sirhan face-to-face. I think I’ve lived my life both in fear of him and his name in one way or another. And I am grateful today to see him as a human being worthy of compassion and love.”

Robert F Kennedy Jr, another son, also recently urged that Newsom free Sihran, noting that the state’s own psychiatrists deemed he was not a threat to society, and raising questions about police’s original investigation. He met with Sirhan in 2018 and said he found him to be a “gentle, humble, kindhearted, frail and harmless”.

Paul Schrade, a victim who survived the shooting, has also argued for his release.

Other children have argued against his release, including Rory Kennedy, who never met his father.

This is a developing story. More soon