Dilettantism or cruelty: prominent human rights advocate Avetik Ishkyanyan voices his concerns over human rights violations towards political prisoners in Armenia

Avetik Ishkyanyan, the Chairman of Helsinki Committee of Armenia, a human rights defense organization, has expressed his concern over Gagik Khachatryan’s case, a former minister of Finance of Armenia currently facing politically motivated charges. His statement reads:

“This is the second time that the European Court of Human Rights has saved a human life with its expeditious decision. The first was the case of Samvel Mayrapetyan, who, by the way, was arrested on very suspicious charges, based on a testimony of a single person. Gagik Khachatryan’s case is the second case. In fact, if Armenia had not been a member of the Council of Europe, Samvel Mayrapetyan probably would have died, and Gagik Khachatryan, likewise, would have met the same fate in the near future. Fortunately, both individuals had a team of competent lawyers who were able to use their professional competencies to save their clients’ lives. But what should other prisoners do who do not have such lawyers but suffer from serious illnesses?

The Armenian authorities, in fact, are not interested in basic human rights whatsoever, especially the most important one—the right to life—because I do not think for a second that the specialists in the field do not realize the seriousness of such cases. The Armenian authorities were neither affected by the calls of many international organizations asking for the avoidance of detention in the conditions of the epidemic and for the release of the detainees at risk. However, the biggest pain is that in the above-mentioned cases, the Armenian society is not angry with the activities of the authorities; instead, it welcomes the suffering of the people, coming not from the understanding of human rights but from the hatred towards the so-called former politicians and officials”.

It is worth mentioning, that The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has satisfied on 21st July the application no. 54684/19 of the former Minister of Finance of Armenia Gagik Khachatryan, and has published its decision by which it granted an interim measure under the rule 39. The ECHR requested the Government of the Republic of Armenia to ensure immediate medical treatment of Gagik Khachatryan as well as the right to be examined and treated by doctors of his choice, including foreign doctors. The 64-year old prominent politician who has illegally been detained for already 11 months needs immediate surgery and his attorneys has claimed this issue in all competent authorities of Armenia, including the investigation, prosecution authorities and courts of the Republic of Armenia. They have consistently ignored these claims depriving Khachatryan’s fundamental rights to receive adequate medical treatment.