Former Armenian Finance Minister Gagik Khachatryan was brought to court on a stretcher on September 1, due to severe health issues, following his arrest in a large-scale bribery and money laundering probe.

The hearing lasted through the night and ended on the morning of September 2, 2026, when Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Court ordered Khachatryan held in custody for two months.

The 71-year-old was diagnosed with severe spinal stenosis in 2015 and has implants in his cervical spine.

His legal team released footage of National Security Service officers carrying him from his home on a stretcher. The lawyers state he was transported on a stretcher in a semi-conscious state twice in the last three months, calling the treatment "inhumane and akin to torture". They claim he was crying out in pain when brought to court.

Khachatryan’s lawyers said they had previously avoided releasing footage of his serious health condition out of respect for his and his family’s dignity and privacy. Given the current circumstances, however, they decided to publish the footage to show the public what they describe as the true severity of his treatment.

Armenia’s Prosecutor General’s Office claims a forensic examination showed he has no health complications preventing him from attending the court session, that he does not require surgery, and that he refused an MRI.

Gagik Khachatryan was in a similar situation in 2020 following his arrest in 2019 , following extensive searches of his properties by Armenia’s National Security Service.

Khachatryan, at the time, was charged with abuse of official position leading to severe consequences and particularly large-scale misappropriation of property (embezzlement).

Khachatryan was forced to apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). On July 21, 2020, the ECHR partially granted Gagik Khachatryan’s application to provide him with the medical care necessary for his health condition.

The ECHR requested that the Armenian government guarantee immediate medical treatment appropriate for his deteriorating health condition, allowing him to be transferred to a civilian hospital if necessary.

The court ruled that Khachatryan had the right to be examined and treated by doctors of his choice, explicitly including foreign medical specialists.

The ECHR is currently examining two applications filed on behalf of Khachatryan, one under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the right to life, and the other under Article 3, the prohibition of torture.