Washington, Aug 28 (IANS): After 53 years in prison, Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of assassinating New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, has been recommended for parole, according to the media.

The recommendation on Friday came after the late Senator's sons, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Douglas Kennedy, supported the 77-year-old Palestinian convict's release during his 16th appearance before the parole board, a CNN report said.

Sirhan has been incarcerated at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation since May 1969 after being convicted of first-degree murder and assault with intent to murder.

During Friday's virtual hearing, Douglas Kennedy said that he was "overwhelmed" to see the person who gunned down his father when he was just two years old.

"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," the CNN report quoted Douglas Kennedy as further saying.

While the board has recommended parole, Sirhan's fate now lies in the hands of California Gavin Newsom.

Despite the recommendation, Newsom can still reverse the decision.

On June 6, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy, who had also served as the 64th Attorney General of the US, was shot dead by Sirhan, then 24 years old, in the kitchen of The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.