Samvel Karapetyan cannot even call his children from home; house arrest conditions are stricter than prison: Lawyer

For the first time, we are speaking publicly about Samvel Karapetyan’s health condition – pneumonia – which he developed in the penitentiary due to poor living conditions, said Armen Feroyan, a member of Karapetyan’s legal team, during a press conference.

According to him, Karapetyan had consistently asked his lawyers not to raise the issue publicly. “However, we repeatedly addressed this matter in our appeals to the courts, and all judges clearly stated that continued failure to provide proper medical care to Samvel Karapetyan would constitute grounds for changing the preventive measure,” Feroyan noted.

He stated that the body conducting the proceedings consistently failed to fulfill this obligation, as a result of which Karapetyan developed bilateral pulmonary fibrosis. “In the penitentiary, the doctor allegedly provided treatment and reported no health problems. It turns out that penitentiary doctors can outperform MRI and CT equipment with visual observation alone, making the invention of such medical devices seemingly unnecessary,” the lawyer said.

Referring to current restrictions, Feroyan emphasized that house arrest conditions are even more severe than prison conditions.

“For example, Samvel Karapetyan cannot call his son or daughter from home to ask how they are. Something he was able to do in prison is now completely prohibited. In prison, he could also make certain publications, which is likewise restricted under house arrest,” he explained.

He added that any assumptions about a hidden agreement behind the change of preventive measure are unfounded. “Four judges have already established that failure to monitor Samvel Karapetyan’s health condition constituted legal grounds for changing the preventive measure,” he stated.

Feroyan concluded by noting that house arrest is stricter than imprisonment in this case, with the only improvement being that the family can now provide an appropriate temperature at home –something that could not be ensured in the penitentiary.