Armenia has opened criminal proceedings over the death of Arsen Gevorgyan, Strong Armenia’s Stepanavan mayoral candidate. He died at Nubarashen prison on 10 November after his health deteriorated, and a forensic medical examination has been ordered.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee has opened criminal proceedings over the death in custody of Arsen Gevorgyan, who headed Strong Armenia’s list in the 25 October Stepanavan City Council election. The committee did not specify the criminal-code article under which the case was opened, Azatutyun said.
Gevorgyan was arrested on 21 October, and Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Court ordered him held for 2 months before trial. The Anti-Corruption Committee alleged that he bribed several dozen voters on condition they vote for Strong Armenia. He denied the charges.
Penitentiary Service public relations chief Nona Navikyan told Armenpress that an on-duty medical officer gave Gevorgyan first aid after his health deteriorated and that an ambulance was called at about 07:55 Yerevan time. She said the ambulance crew recorded his death at about 08:30 and that he had not reported health complaints during his time at the prison.
Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan said Gevorgyan complained of feeling unwell that morning. She placed the medical examination at around 07:55, with the ambulance called shortly afterward, and said cardiac arrest was recorded. The underlying medical cause of his death has not been established.
The Penitentiary Service subsequently published a written chronology of what it said cameras near Gevorgyan’s cell had recorded. It said a nurse entered at 07:43, left at 07:45 to organize an ambulance call and returned from 07:51 to 07:58. Ambulance personnel reached the prison at 08:10 and entered the cell at 08:13; Gevorgyan was taken out on a stretcher at 08:23.
The service said an ambulance doctor recorded his biological death between 08:27 and 08:33 while he was on a stretcher in a prison corridor, connected to a device that records the heart’s electrical activity.
The Republic candidate won 14 council votes to Civil Contract candidate Husik Sahakyan’s 13, retaining leadership in the community that now includes Areni and Yeghegis.
Gevorgyan’s teammate and close associate Andranik Gevorgyan attributed what he described as a heart attack to emotional distress. That was his explanation, not an established medical finding.
The Investigative Committee told Haykakan Zhamanak that a forensic medical examination had been ordered. Armenia’s human rights defender has also initiated a review and will request explanations from the relevant state bodies. The defender said the state is responsible for protecting the rights, life and health of people deprived of liberty.
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All 14 council members present voted for the Business Party candidate, who previously led the Armenian community as a Civil Contract representative.
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The committee has sent an indictment involving two defendants to a prosecutor, seeking its approval and referral of the case to court.
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