Your trusted source

The Anti-Corruption Court on Friday held another hearing in the case of Gagik Khachatryan. During the session, Khachatryan’s legal representative, Yerem Sargsyan, reiterated his request for permission to allow Mr. Khachatryan to travel abroad for urgent medical treatment.

Sargsyan also informed the court that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), following a complaint filed by Khachatryan's defense team, has requested the Armenian government to clarify the reasons for not providing the necessary medical care to his client.

"The ECHR specifically inquired about two critical issues," Sargsyan noted. "First, how the refusal to allow Mr. Khachatryan to travel for surgery aligns with the state's positive obligation to ensure the right to life. Second, the court sought justification as to whether the lack of appropriate accommodations for persons with disabilities during court proceedings amounts to inhumane and degrading treatment. This is a wake-up call for our state, which continues to undermine fundamental human rights and dignity. The last time Gagik Khachatryan’s restraining order was modified, it was solely due to the intervention of the ECHR. Now, it seems that the state is unwilling to cease its inhumane treatment until the ECHR formally recognizes a violation of his rights," said the defender.

Referring to the examinations appointed by the court, the defender expressed his concern about the developed practice.

"I expect that the prosecutor will once again demand to conduct an expert examination. Something that has already been done three times during this trial. If after three examinations the state does not have a "favorable" conclusion for it, then it is clear that depriving the person of medical care will not improve the person's health condition on its own, the state will not receive that "favorable" conclusion. Therefore, it is impossible to go through this closed circuit all the time," Yerem Sargsyan said in his speech.

Gagik Khachatryan faces charges of alleged abuse of power, embezzlement, and official forgery—allegations he firmly denies. Previously, while undergoing medical treatment in Germany, Khachatryan interrupted his care and returned to Armenia immediately upon the investigator’s request, voluntarily presenting himself to the authorities. However, for the past two years, the court has repeatedly denied his requests to travel abroad for necessary surgery, prompting his legal team to appeal to the ECHR.