Why Samvel Mayrapetyan's Treatment Is Not Possible in Armenia

Considering the Investigative Committee's comments on Samvel Mayrapetyan's health status, and in order to avoid further speculation regarding this issue, it is essential to present the current situation in a brief and accessible manner.

On November 9, 2016, Samvel Mayrapetyan was hospitalized in Yerevan with a diagnosis of acute necrotizing pancreatitis and underwent surgery that same day due to life-threatening indications. It became apparent a few days after hospitalization that Mayrapetyan had developed the most severe form of the illness, which has a very high mortality rate even in countries where modern treatment methods and ways to combat potential complications are available. Despite the fact that Samvel Mayrapetyan received the best available medical assistance in Armenia, by November 11, he found himself in a life-threatening condition, and due to the impossibility of saving his life in Armenia, he was forced to be transported to Germany in a coma on a special aircraft to continue treatment at a specialized clinic. Fortunately, after six months of very intensive treatment, Samvel Mayrapetyan's life was saved. It should be noted that the surgical method used to save Mayrapetyan's life is not implemented in Armenia; the required equipment and qualified specialists who are skilled in this method are not available in the country. Following his return from Germany, Mayrapetyan has been under constant medical supervision of both Armenian and German doctors.

Currently, a large stone has formed in Mayrapetyan's common bile duct. A combination of regular tests conducted before his detention, as well as those carried out during his time in custody and forensic medical examinations, allows for a firm conclusion that this stone developed while Samvel Mayrapetyan was in custody. This danger has been repeatedly highlighted by renowned medical specialists, and Mayrapetyan's lawyers have consistently informed the relevant authorities, but no action has been taken.

The presence of a stone in the common bile duct poses a very serious risk in Mayrapetyan's case, as it could block the duct at any moment, which, given the prior severe illness and chronic inflammation of the pancreas, would likely lead to a sudden exacerbation of the underlying condition—measures to combat this eventuality, as previously noted, do not exist in Armenia.

Following the discovery of the stone in Mayrapetyan's common bile duct, a prestigious council of reputable specialist doctors was convened twice. Ten leading medical specialists from Armenia's top clinics, including department heads, professors, and clinic directors, reached a consensus that urgent endoscopic intervention is required to remove the stone from Mayrapetyan's bile duct. The issue is that the most common complication arising from such an intervention is the development of acute pancreatitis—even in patients without a prior history of pancreatitis. The likelihood of this complication becomes significantly higher if the intervention is repeated or performed multiple times. Given the extremely severe course of Samvel Mayrapetyan's underlying disease and the fact that multiple interventions of the same nature have been performed during his treatment in Germany, the council concluded that the risk of multiple complications arising from an endoscopic intervention, for which there are no available countermeasures in Armenia, could very likely lead to Samvel Mayrapetyan's death. Considering this reality, the council found that Mayrapetyan's treatment should be carried out in the same clinic in Germany where his life was previously saved.

It is absolutely unacceptable that state authorities, who have ignored numerous warnings from medical professionals and have brought Samvel Mayrapetyan to a state that poses a clear threat to his life and health, continue to disregard the opinions of specialists in the field and are currently obstructing his only possible treatment opportunity, attempting to present it as a means to evade legal examination.

Samvel Mayrapetyan's legal team
Yerevan
January 10, 2019