After two of RFK's sons said they supported his release and prosecutors declined to argue that he should be kept behind bars, California's parole board voted on Friday (Saturday NZT) to free his assassin. However, the governor will finally determine if Sirhan Sirhan is released from prison.

When his father was assassinated in 1968, Douglas Kennedy was only a child. Sirhan's regret drove him to tears, he told a two-person board panel, and he believes the 77-year-old should be released if he is not a threat to others.

“Just being able to see Mr. Sirhan face to face has overwhelmed me,” he remarked. “In one way or another, I've lived my life in fear of him and his name. And I'm thankful to see him today as a human being deserving of compassion and love.”

Robert F Kennedy Jr., who has previously advocated for Sirhan's release and met with him in prison, wrote in support of Sirhan's paroling.

“While no one can speak definitively on my father's behalf, I am confident that, based on his own consuming commitment to fairness and justice, he would strongly encourage this board to release Mr. Sirhan because of Sirhan's impressive record of rehabilitation,” he wrote to the board.

After the parole decision was revealed, Sirhan grinned, thanked the board, and gave a thumbs-up. In his 16th effort at parole, it was a big victory. However, this does not guarantee his freedom.

The board's staff will evaluate the decision over the next 90 days. The governor will then have 30 days to decide whether or not to grant it, reverse it, or alter it. Sirhan must spend six months in a transitional home, enroll in an alcohol abuse program, and receive therapy if he is released.

Senator Robert F Kennedy was the younger brother of President John F Kennedy, who was slain in 1963. When RFK was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles shortly after giving a victory speech in the crucial California primary, he was running for President of the United States of America. Five more people were hurt.

Sirhan was found guilty of first-degree murder despite his claims that he doesn't recall the incident and that he had been consuming alcohol just before it. After his conviction, he was condemned to death, but when the California Supreme Court momentarily prohibited capital punishment in 1972, his sentence was commuted to life in prison.

Sirhan's latest parole hearing was in 2016, and after more than three hours of emotional testimony, commissioners found that he did not exhibit appropriate contrition or comprehend the gravity of his conduct.

Prosecutors declined to join or oppose Sirhan's release this time, citing a policy established by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, a former cop who was elected last year on a reform campaign.

Gascón, who said he admired the Kennedys and was saddened by RFK's assassination, believes prosecutors' responsibility ends with sentencing and that they should not have a say in whether or not prisoners are released.

At the opening of Friday's meeting, Parole Board Commissioner Robert Barton said the Los Angeles Police Department, relatives of some of the victims, and members of the public had written letters opposing Sirhan's release.

“We don't have a district attorney here,” Barton said, adding that he would examine arguments made in the past by prosecutors opposing his release if they were relevant.

Angela Berry, Sirhan's lawyer, said the board should make its decision based on who Sirhan is now, not what he did more than 50 years ago. She stated that he poses no danger to the public.

Sirhan stated that he had learned to control his rage and was dedicated to living in peace.

He told the panel, "I would never put myself in jeopardy again." “You have my word on this. I will always prioritize security, peace, and nonviolence.”

Sirhan, a Jordanian Christian Palestinian, has stated that he was enraged by Kennedy's support for Israel. When asked how he thinks about the Middle East situation today, Sirhan sobbed and couldn't talk for a moment.

“Take a few deep breaths,” Barton said, noting that the disagreement had not vanished and had still struck a chord.

Sirhan said he isn't interested in what's going on in the region but is concerned about the plight of refugees.

“The anguish that those people are going through. “It hurts,” Sirhan admitted.

Sirhan could be deported to Jordan if he is released, and Barton is concerned that he would become a "symbol or lightning rod to foment more violence."

Sirhan stated that he was too elderly to be part of the Middle East conflict and that he would withdraw.

Sirhan, who told the panel he hoped to live with his blind brother in Pasadena, California, added, "The same argument can be said or made that I can be a peacemaker and a contributor to a friendly nonviolent way of resolving the issue."

Sirhan's release was also supported by Paul Schrade, a union official and RFK aide who was one of five persons injured in the 1968 shooting.