The editor of an Armenian opposition newspaper serving a prison sentence for draft evasion has complained of a “serious health problem” after spending more than two weeks in prison hospital.
Arman Babajanian, the editor-in-chief of the “Zhamanak Yerevan” daily, told RFE/RL on Tuesday a recent medical examination revealed a brain tumor in him. The journalist, whose repeated applications to be granted parole have been rejected in the past, said he would not ask for parole again, but would wait until his scheduled release in autumn.
Arman Babajanian was arrested in June 2006 and subsequently sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to forging documents to dodge military draft. But he and many civil rights lawyers believe he would not have been prosecuted shortly after his return to Armenia from the United States had his newspaper been loyal to the government.
Babajanian was transferred from Yerevan’s Erebuni jail to prison hospital 15 days ago.
The opposition paper’s editor told RFE/RL he was currently confined to bed and suffered blood pressure fluctuations and recurrent convulsions.
Babajanian said a medial examination at the Nairi medical center earlier this month revealed that he had a brain tumor, which was the cause of his pangs.
“It is likely that a decision will be made for treatment to be conducted in inpatient conditions. A decision has been made to make a surgery to remove that brain tumor,” said Babajanian, adding that he gets several injections during the day.
Babajanian, however, said he is mistrustful of surgeons in Armenia. “I will probably wait until my release due on September 16 and go abroad for this surgery,” he added.
Under Armenian law, convicts that have served at least one third of their prison sentences can ask a special commission appointed by the president to release them on parole. Babajanian has been repeatedly denied parole since he served one third of his term required under law in autumn 2007.
Babajanian told RFE/RL that he asked the commission at the prison hospital that will meet later this week not to discuss his issue. According to him, however, the commission said his petition had no legal force.
Babajanian has not qualified for release under two general amnesties declared in Armenia during his jail term. The latest one was on June 19.
Zaruhi Postanjian, a member of the opposition Zharangutyun party’s parliamentarian faction, told RFE/RL she had raised the issue of Babajanian’s health condition with Armenia’s Justice Ministry.
She said that while serving his term Babajanian has never been reprimanded and has been evaluated positively by prison authorities, which, she said, could serve as grounds for his early release.
“But since we all understand that his conviction pursued political goals, we fear that Arman [Babajanian] may not be granted parole even in this condition when he has serious health problems,” said Postanjian.
Armen Harutiunian, the state human rights ombudsman, also reportedly visited Babajanian in prison hospital on Tuesday.
Arman Babajanian was arrested in June 2006 and subsequently sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison after pleading guilty to forging documents to dodge military draft. But he and many civil rights lawyers believe he would not have been prosecuted shortly after his return to Armenia from the United States had his newspaper been loyal to the government.
Babajanian was transferred from Yerevan’s Erebuni jail to prison hospital 15 days ago.
The opposition paper’s editor told RFE/RL he was currently confined to bed and suffered blood pressure fluctuations and recurrent convulsions.
Babajanian said a medial examination at the Nairi medical center earlier this month revealed that he had a brain tumor, which was the cause of his pangs.
“It is likely that a decision will be made for treatment to be conducted in inpatient conditions. A decision has been made to make a surgery to remove that brain tumor,” said Babajanian, adding that he gets several injections during the day.
Babajanian, however, said he is mistrustful of surgeons in Armenia. “I will probably wait until my release due on September 16 and go abroad for this surgery,” he added.
Under Armenian law, convicts that have served at least one third of their prison sentences can ask a special commission appointed by the president to release them on parole. Babajanian has been repeatedly denied parole since he served one third of his term required under law in autumn 2007.
Babajanian told RFE/RL that he asked the commission at the prison hospital that will meet later this week not to discuss his issue. According to him, however, the commission said his petition had no legal force.
Babajanian has not qualified for release under two general amnesties declared in Armenia during his jail term. The latest one was on June 19.
Zaruhi Postanjian, a member of the opposition Zharangutyun party’s parliamentarian faction, told RFE/RL she had raised the issue of Babajanian’s health condition with Armenia’s Justice Ministry.
She said that while serving his term Babajanian has never been reprimanded and has been evaluated positively by prison authorities, which, she said, could serve as grounds for his early release.
“But since we all understand that his conviction pursued political goals, we fear that Arman [Babajanian] may not be granted parole even in this condition when he has serious health problems,” said Postanjian.
Armen Harutiunian, the state human rights ombudsman, also reportedly visited Babajanian in prison hospital on Tuesday.