Opposition MP: Criminal prosecution by the state should not become a tool for violating human dignity

ArmInfo. Video and photo footage of Gagik Khachatryan's arrest, his transportation to court on a stretcher, and the trial posted online are evidence of torture and inhumane and degrading treatment of a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. This was stated in a statement by Lilit Galstyan, Chair of the RA National Assembly Committee on Human Rights and Public Affairs.

According to her, the transportation of a person in a clearly grave health condition and experiencing severe physical pain is nothing more than a deliberate act and is subject to the strictest legal assessment, as the law permits appropriate investigative actions to be carried out at the location of the person. It is also seriously concerning that, according to published information, similar actions were repeated several times—on June 5, June 7, and September 1—each time in a new episode. Intentionally inflicting severe physical and mental suffering and pain on a person, as well as demonstrating such treatment for the purpose of humiliation, suppression, or punishment, is not simply inhumane treatment; it is torture, and it cannot be justified for any criminal prosecution purposes.

Criminal prosecution by the state, as Lilit Galstyan noted, should not become an instrument for violating human dignity. The severity of the law does not mean cruelty to a person, and detention does not deprive the right to proper medical care and humane treatment, which is an immutable line for the state that must never be crossed. "Everyone is equal before the law, but no accusation can predetermine a person's guilt. It can only be confirmed by a judicial decision that has entered into legal force." "The aforementioned act, which is degrading to human dignity and incompatible with life, deserves condemnation," the parliamentarian noted.

As a reminder, former Finance Minister and former head of the RA State Revenue Committee Gagik Khachatryan has been arrested for two months. He was detained the day before. Law enforcement officers conducted searches of his and his son's apartments, as well as the offices and branches of 21 companies affiliated with them. These actions were carried out as part of criminal proceedings related to large-scale bribery and large-scale money laundering. By a decision of the Prosecutor General's Office dated August 29, 2026, the public criminal prosecution initiated on June 7, 2026, against the former Chairman of the State Revenue Committee and the former Minister of Finance in a criminal case being reviewed by the Investigative Committee was amended and supplemented, and a new public criminal prosecution was initiated.

The day before, Khachatryan's lawyers posted a video and photo showing the ailing Khachatryan being literally dragged out of bed and placed on a stretcher to be taken to court. In the courthouse itself, the former minister was forced onto chairs, which the defense team perceived as further torture.