Wednesday, January 23 2019 14:14

ArmInfo.The Ministry of Healthcare of Armenia has already issued its professional opinion regarding the health of the businessman Samvel Mayrapetyan to both  the investigating authority and the ECHR. This was stated by the head  of the department Arsen Torosyan on January 23 at a meeting with  journalists.

"At the moment I'm not sure that I can reveal a medical secret, I'll  just say that the position expressed by the investigative body  includes ours. Therefore, having familiarized with the opinion of the  investigation, you can be sure that you've seen ours," said Torosyan.

When asked by a journalist whether Armenia is able to provide  Mayrapetyan with treatment using the transluminal drainage prescribed  for him, the head of the Ministry of Healthcare replied: "Are you  sure that he is currently prescribed this method?". 

To recall, the Special Investigation Service (SIS) detained Samvel  Mayrapetyan on October 7th. He was charged under Article 38-311 of  the Armenian Criminal Code (complicity in bribery). On December 27,  the Court of Appeals released Mayrapetyan on bail of 30 million drams  ($ 60,000).

Since the businessman's passport was in the service, and the  businessman could not leave the country, on December 29, the lawyers  urgently submitted an application to the SIS to enable him to leave  for Germany for treatment. "Several well-known surgeons as a result  of the convened consultation concluded that it is impossible to  organize and provide specialized treatment in the Armenia, since  there is no transluminal drainage in the Armenia," the lawyers said  in a statement. On January 8, Mayrapetyan's passport was returned,  but, according to a statement by lawyers, he was forbidden to leave  Armenia. In early January, SIS made a statement regarding Samvel  Mayrapetyan's disease. The statement noted that to clarify some  issues related to the state of Mayrapetyan, on November 14, 2018 a  forensic medical examination was appointed, and its conduct was  entrusted to an interdepartmental commission. The conclusion of the  examination has not yet been received. "The statement of the defense  that the operation to remove the stone from the bile ducts is  possible only abroad is ambiguous, since according to the information  received, similar operations are being carried out in Armenia," the  statement said.

However, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on January 17  decided to apply an interim measure in the case of the businessman  and owner of the Second Public Television Samvel Mayrapetyan.  The  ECHR recommended to the Government of Armenia to urgently ensure the  provision of medical care in accordance with the testimony of  doctors, including using the method of transluminal drainage. "Taking  into account the fact that, according to specialists - doctors, the  treatment of Mairapetyan in Armenia is impossible, in particular, due  to the lack of the possibility of transluminal drainage, the decision  of the ECHR implies that he needs to be allowed to go to Germany, to  that hospital, where he had previously undergone treatment before,  "the statement reads.