Arsen Gevorgyan has been politically persecuted since October 23. The legal team of Arsen Gevorgyan, the opposition Strong Armenia party’s Stepanavan city mayoral candidate who died in prison, has noted this in a statement.

The statement adds as follows: "The fact that Arsen Gevorgyan was illegally sentenced to 2 months of detention, however, the entire investigation was completed in about 15 days, proves that the need for pretrial detention was generally absent.

According to the information we received about the tragic death:

1/Arsen Gevorgyan's health clearly worsened, he was examined not by a doctor from the medical staff of the penitentiary institution, but by a medical assistant.

2/ The ambulance was not called within the shortest possible time and even after that.

2/ Arsen Gevorgyan was not provided with medical assistance by a doctor, access to it was not ensured. Doctors were allowed to enter the penitentiary institution, in fact, after Arsen Gevorgyan’s death.

The revealed circumstances raise suspicions of serious human rights violations, and they must be subjected to a thorough, independent, and impartial investigation.

We will be consistent in the proper investigation of the circumstances of Arsen Gevorgyan’s death.”

Earlier, Armenian News-NEWS.am reported that Arsen Gevorgyan died in a penitentiary Tuesday morning. According to preliminary data, the cause of death was a heart attack.

On October 21, the Anti-Corruption Court of Armenia had remanded Gevorgyan—the opposition Strong Armenia party’s Stepanavan city mayoral candidate—in custody for two months. The Anti-Corruption Committee of Armenia had charged him of vote buying as part of a group and aiding in this.

Arsen Gevorgyan was 46 years old.