Ex tax chief's lawyers apply to ECHR for interim measures

The lawyers of former Armenian State Revenue Committee Chairman Gagik Khachatryan have filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) seeking interim measures.

The defense team of the former tax chief said in a press release that they have asked the European Court to order the Armenian authorities to immediately release Gagik Khachatryan, refrain from continuing the practice of repeatedly moving him from place to place on a stretcher, and lift the travel ban imposed as a preventive measure so that he can travel abroad to receive the necessary medical treatment.

A court earlier on Wednesday approved pre-trial detention for Khachatryan, who stands accused of multimillion-dollar bribery and money laundering.

The Prosecutor’s Office earlier said a medical examination found that Khachatryan has no health problems preventing him from participating in procedural actions.

Gagik Khachatryan, 71, served as SRC chairman from 2008 to 2014 and as finance minister from 2014 to 2016 under then-President Serzh Sargsyan. He was arrested earlier this week in a major bribery and money laundering investigation.

Footage of the arrest released by the former official’s legal team sparked controversy, as he was seen groaning in pain as officers moved him from his bed onto a stretcher before taking him to court.

Another video showed Khachatryan lying on several chairs pushed together at the pretrial investigation body, reportedly due to poor health. His lawyers claimed he was tortured.

Asked to comment on the matter Thursday, PM Nikol Pashinyan indicated that Khachatryan was faking his health problems.

“Since September 2, he has been in detention and, despite being unable to move independently, is being held at the ‘Yerevan-Center’ penitentiary. The motion to ensure a doctor’s visit has remained unanswered to date,” Khachatryan’s lawyers said in a statement.

It noted that Gagik Khachatryan has faced charges in several criminal proceedings since 2019, including a case involving receiving a particularly large bribe. He denies the charges, and there is no final judicial act in the cases.

According to the legal team’s statement, alongside seven years of criminal proceedings, his health has continued to deteriorate, while his treatment has largely been limited to symptomatic interventions.

It noted that Khachatryan was diagnosed with spinal stenosis in 2015, while an implant placed in his cervical spine has shifted, according to the defense, causing acute pain with any movement. He also has diabetes, shoulder problems and heart problems.

“According to an assessment by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, he has been assessed as having a severe degree of functional limitation — 66 percent — and has been recognized as a person with a disability. He is no longer able to move independently. The need for surgery has been documented by medical examinations over the years and by the conclusions of more than a dozen local and international medical consultations.

“Khachatryan has been allowed to travel abroad several times for medical treatment. Each time, he returned within the prescribed period, did not obstruct the proceedings, and during those periods no court hearing was postponed due to his health condition. However, travel for the necessary surgery has repeatedly been blocked. In April 2025, the court again allowed him to travel to Germany, but immediately after that decision, a travel ban imposed in another criminal proceeding prevented his departure. As a result, a person who has not received the necessary surgery for seven years and has lost the ability to move independently is once again in detention,” the statement said.

It also noted that, at the direction of the Human Rights Defender, a group of staff representatives visited the penitentiary. They held a private meeting with Gagik Khachatryan and examined issues related to his medical care, personal care and detention conditions. The issues raised within the Human Rights Defender’s mandate have already been addressed to the competent authorities, while some of them are being resolved.

Following an intervention by the Human Rights Defender, a caregiver was provided for Gagik Khachatryan, but his lawyers claim that the risks to Khachatryan’s life and health have not been eliminated.