IS IT FORBIDDEN TO VISIT SHANT? HIS RELATIVES INSIST SO
by Naira Mamikonyan
Aravot
March 27 2009
Armenia
Shant Harutyunyan, one of the seven oppositionists on trial, was
transferred on 17 March from the Vardashen prison to the Health
Ministry’s mental health centre, the Nubarashen clinic, where,
under the 9 March decision of judge Manatsakan Martirosyan he is to
be examined for mental health. On the same day, the court ruled to
suspend the criminal proceedings until after the examination results
are received.
[Passage omitted: The examination is to determine whether currently
or at the time when charged Shant Harutyunyan was of diminished
responsibility.]
Since 17 March, relatives of the political prisoner [Shant Harutyunyan]
have been deprived of the right to visit him. Harutyunyan’s wife,
Ruzanna Badalyan, told Aravot yesterday that employees of the mental
clinic refuse to allow her to visit her husband, saying that she
needs a permission by judge Martirosyan to do so. Days ago, Shant’s
relatives voiced concern that the political prisoner’s state is
extremely bad. They said that even human rights organizations and
MPs were not allowed to visit Harutyunyan. In this case, they are
referring to Mikayel Danielyan, the head of the International Helsinki
Association’s Yerevan office, and Larisa Alaverdyan, a member of
the Heritage party faction in parliament. Danielyan, however, told
Aravot that he was planning to visit Shant but because the experts’
commission was in a working process at that time, he did not try to
seek permission. He added that he is planning to seek a visit in the
coming days. MP Larisa Alaverdyan said that she was not denied a visit;
simply, there is a procedure that she is trying to follow.
Karen Manucharyan, a public attorney appointed by the court on 9 March,
says he cannot visit Shant since Shant has refused to have an attorney.
The political prisoner’s wife says that on 24 March they officially
asked judge Martirosyan for a permit to visit Shantz.
[Passage omitted: Harutyunyan has filed a complaint about the issue
but it is not clear with whom.]
Shant’s relatives have little information about the state of his
health. They only know that Shant does not receive any medication,
and that he receives parcels sent to him by the family.
[Passage omitted: Shant’s wife denies allegations that her husband
suffers from mental illness, says Shant simply is a suspicions person.]
The family members have been told that the examination will last for
24 days. It is unpredictable what the results of the examination will
be. They will largely depend on the authorities’ will.