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On November 4, 2014, “Artik” penitentiary convict Arthur Baghdasaryan’s wife Anna Sahakyan refered to HCA Vanadzor office for the protection of her rights.

As A. Sahakyan informed, on September 11, 2014 she met her husband during prolonged visiting time in “Artik” penitentiary and his health state was not stable his belly was too swollen and he complained of sharp pain. Realizing the health conditions of her husband were worsening, she requested from the head of penitentiary to transfer him to a respective medical facility.

At around 18:00pm, on September 11, 2014 A. Baghdasaryan was transferred to RA MJ penitentiary hospital. On September 12, A. Sahakyan visited the convict in the hospital but she was not allowed to meet her husband, after a while she was informed that her husband was transferred to “Erebuni” medical centre.

According to A. Sahakyan, during a visit to Erebuni medical Center she saw her husband lying on a cart in the corridor. At the point, the husband’s belly was not as swollen and he informed that felt relatively better. He had been examined and transferred to the reanimation unit of “Erebuni” medical center. On September 13, 2014 A. Sahakyan met her husband in the reanimation unit. According to A. Sahakyan her husband was feeling well, later she met the doctors who informed that his health state was serious and endangered but they did not say specifically what kind of health problem he had.

Diagnosis provided by the doctors varied: one doctor informed he had cracks on his esophagus causing bleeding; another one informed that he had intestinal bleeding, and when she visited the department head, he informed her that A. Baghdasaryan had liver cirrhosis.

4. Sahakyan met her husband again on September 14, 15, 16, 2014. On September 16, his abdomen was so swollen that it bulged under his chest. During that time he felt oxygen deficiency as the swell did not allow income of oxygen into the body. According to A. Sahakyan, at around 20:00pm on September 16, she heard her husband screaming “I am dying help me, I am dying” during that period he ran to the corridor under the influence of sharp pain and asked for help, afterwards A. Baghdasaryan was transferred to the reanimation unit, he was tied to the bed with tapes and got an injection after which his voice disappeared immediately.

From 20:00 to midnight she was not allowed to see her husband, at 12:00 she was able to enter the reanimation unit where she found her husband dead.

On November 17, 2014 V. Melkonyan an inspector at RA police Erebuni department of investigation unit called A. Sahakyan to inform that the examination of her husband’s death case was complete and she could take the decision. According to A. Sahakyan during the preliminary investigation of the case not enough measures had been taken to find out the real circumstances of her husband’s death, the staff of “Erebuni” medical center had not been interviewed, husband’s mother had not been questioned, the victim’s successor was not engaged in approved forensic investigation and other violations.

Based on the state’s obligation and responsibility of the to effectively examine cases of life threats, physical integrity and health protection, as well as the absolute prohibition of torture and inhuman and humiliating treatment HCA Vanadzor calls RA General Prosecution office’s attention to A. Sahakyan’s case and requires taking measures to eliminate described violations and completely exclude the possibility of their recurrence in the future.