Vardges Gaspary was detained on 19 February based on the illegal decision of the Court of General Jurisdiction of Shengavit Administrative District of Yerevan City. As of this date Gaspari’s wife, Anahit Ayvaziin has not been allowed to visit her husband.

Today, on 24 February, Gaspari was taken “Nork” psychiatric center for examination. Gaspari defenders Tigran Yegoryan and Davit Gyurjian rushed to the psychiatric center to participate at the examination, since they were informed about it just shortly before the examination.

After meeting with Gaspari, they learned that he is already two days in hunger and water-strike, which was recorded by the prison administration just a day ago. However, Gaspary was not taken to a separate cell with a corresponding medical supervision. In this way Gaspari expresses his protest against the torture, inhuman and degrading treatment he underwent during the past several days, and demands to transfer him to solitary confinement.

Gaspari informed that during the past days he had undergone torture and was beaten by the prisoners of the cell N20 and then the cell N 7 where he was placed. And all this happen with the guidance and permission of the administration and criminal elements. They do this also using other means by beating, psychological and physical pressure, inhuman and degrading treatment, swearing, pouring water and threatening “You will not leave here alive,” etc. Gaspari’s complaints to the staff of the penitentiary werenot answered.

Only on 23 February, the penitentiary officials recorded the fact of gaspari’s hunger and water-strike. Nevertheless, he was not taken into solitary confinement, which is a gross violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights,

Given the mentioned above, we conclude that the pressure against Gaspari is nothing else than political retribution for his political activism and principles and is aimed at aimed pressure on people struggling against injustice and through oppression the creation of an atmosphere of fear for others.

We, the undersigned, call on human rights defenders, national and international civil society the international organizations to intervene in all possible ways of influence with an effort to stop the torture against Gaspari. Currently Gaspari has benn taken back from “Nork” psychiatric center to Nubarashen penitentiary and placed in the same cell, where he spent several days and is the subject of torture.

Gaspari applies to the MPs Nikol Pashinyan, Zaruhi Postanjyan, Aram Manukyan, Levon Zurabyan, Hrant Bagratyan and Tevan Poghosyan asking to intervene to change the measure of restraint (through letters), referring to the issue of prevention the pressure applied towards him.

Defenders of Vardges Gaspari’s rights:

Tigran Yegoryan

Davit Gyurjyan

Iravaban.net