17:00, 14 August 2010

Armenian human rights defender Arshaluis Akopyan dies in Canada

The sudden death of Arshaluis Akopyan, a human rights activist and a member of the Helsinki Association of Armenia, happened on August 11 in Canada, where he went to apply for political asylum. As reported by Mikael Danielyan, Chairman of the Association, with reference to the data of medical examination, Arshaluis died from meningitis.

Making his comments on the data of the medical examination conducted after Akopyan's death in Canada, Mr Danielyan said that certain points remain unclear, "for example, when he had fallen ill and why aggravation happened at that moment," and that the Helsinki Association of Armenia had addressed Canadian experts asking them to present the examination results, the "Tert.am" reports.

According to Danielyan, Akopyan suffered from headache and cardiac problems after he was released from imprisonment; before, he had no health problems, the "NEWS.am" reports.