4.  The applicant was born in 1965 and lives in the village of Karakert, Armenia. 5.  The applicant has been a member of the Armenian Communist Party since 1998. 6.  In February and March 2003 a presidential election took place in Armenia. Following the first and second rounds of the election, a series of protest rallies were organised in Yerevan by the opposition parties, alleging irregularities. 7.  On 21 March 2003 the applicant participated in a rally in Yerevan which was part of a nationwide public demonstration. Following the demonstration the applicant returned to his home in the village of Karakert. 8.  On 22 March 2003 two police officers from the Baghramyan Police Department (ՀՀ ոստիկանության Բաղրամյանի բաժին) visited the applicant at his home. 9.  The applicant alleged that this visit had taken place at 7 a.m. The police officers told him that he was required to accompany them to the police station as the chief wished to see him regarding matters unrelated to the demonstration the day before. 10.  The Government contested this allegation and submitted that the police officers had visited the applicant at 9 a.m. because they suspected him of having participated in an unauthorised demonstration the previous day. 11.  It appears from the materials of the case that the applicant was asked by the police officers to accompany them to the police station. He showed resistance but was nevertheless taken to the police station. 12.  According to the Government, at the police station the arresting police officers drew up a record of the applicant’s arrest (արձանագրությաւն բերման ենթարկելու մասին) in which the reasons for his arrest were indicated. This record was allegedly signed by the applicant. 13.  In his application form, the applicant alleged that at the police station he had discovered that the real reason for his detention was his participation in the demonstration the previous day. Contrary to what he had been told, the chief of police did not want to see him. His requests to have a lawyer were ignored. In a later submission, the applicant alleged that the chief of police had in fact met him and told him that he would be detained since there were instructions from the Minister of the Interior to arrest temporarily all political activists. 14.  According to a written statement (արձանագրություն բացատրություն վերցնելու մասին) made by the applicant at the police station, on 22 March 2003 he had participated in a rally in Yerevan and the same evening he had returned home to his village. The next morning at 9 a.m. the police officers had visited him at home and asked him to accompany them to the police station. An argument had erupted, during which the applicant admitted having disobeyed the lawful orders of the police officers. The applicant had regretted his actions, asked for forgiveness and promised that it would never happen again. 15.  The applicant alleged that he had made the above statement since the police officers had led him to believe that his arrest was not in relation to serious matters and that he would not face any serious consequences. 16.  The Government contested the above allegations and submitted that the applicant had made the above statement voluntarily. The police officers had informed the applicant of his procedural rights and had advised him to avail himself of his right to have a lawyer but he had not wished to do so. 17.  The police officers drew up a record of an administrative offence (վարչական իրավախախտման արձանագրություն) in which it was stated that the applicant “had used foul language and had maliciously disobeyed the lawful orders of the police officers”. The applicant was charged under Article 182 of the Code of Administrative Offences (Վարչական իրավախախտումների վերաբերյալ ՀՀ օրենսգիրք – “the CAO”). The applicant’s signature did not appear on this record. 18.  About two hours after his arrest the applicant was brought before Judge S. of the Armavir Regional Court (Արմավիրի մարզի առաջին ատյանի դատարան). 19.  Judge S., after a brief hearing, sentenced the applicant under Article 182 of the CAO to ten days of administrative detention. The judge’s entire finding amounted to the following sentence:
“On 22 March 2003 at 9 a.m. in the village of Karakert of the Armavir Region [the applicant] maliciously refused to obey the lawful order of the officers of the Baghramyan Police Department acting in pursuance of their duties of preserving public order; in particular, while being taken to the police station, he disobeyed the police officers, used foul language and prevented them from performing their duty.” 20.  According to the record of the court hearing, the hearing was held in public with the participation of the judge, a clerk and the applicant. The judge informed the applicant of his right to challenge the judge and the clerk and to have a lawyer. The applicant did not wish to lodge any challenges or to have a lawyer. The judge then proceeded with examination of evidence. The applicant submitted that the police officers of the Armavir Police Department had visited him at home at 9 a.m. that day and asked him to come to the police station. He had tried to find out why he was being taken to the police station but it turned out that he had used foul language. His attempts to find out the reasons remained unanswered. Thereafter, the judge examined the materials prepared by the police. No further evidence was produced or requests made by the applicant. The judge departed to the deliberation room, after which he returned and announced the decision. 21.  According to the applicant, the hearing was conducted in the judge’s office, without examination of any witnesses, and lasted only a few minutes. No charges were presented prior to the hearing. The judge explained that he was in no position to help the applicant or to make any decision other than that which he had made as he was acting on instructions from higher authorities. He also explained that it was not possible to call a lawyer because he had many cases to examine and could not afford to spend more time on the applicant’s case. 22.  The applicant was taken to the Armavir Temporary Detention Facility at the Armavir Regional Department of Internal Affairs to serve his sentence. 23.  The applicant alleged that, at the detention facility, he had been asked to sign the above record of an administrative offence without reading it, which he refused to do. 24.  The Government contested this allegation and claimed that the applicant had actually signed this document while in police custody prior to the court hearing. 25.  The applicant alleged, and the Government did not dispute, that at the Armavir Temporary Detention Facility he had been placed with nine other people in a cell measuring 7.5 sq. m. There were no beds in the cell so the detainees had to sleep on the floor. They had no bed linen, blankets or pillows. 26.  On 24 March 2003 the applicant and three others were transferred to another cell, as a result of constant oral complaints. The applicant alleged, and the Government did not dispute, that the new cell also measured 7.5 sq. m and was designed for two persons. There were only two metal beds in the cell, each 40-50 cm wide, so the applicant had to share a bed with another detainee. There was no bed linen, blankets or pillows. Two days later, after repeated oral complaints, the applicant was given bedding which was in a very dirty condition. The water provided to the detainees was of such bad quality that he refused to drink it. He had to acquire mineral water from the outside, using the money that he had, with the help of the staff of the detention facility. Food was provided only once a day and it was always buckwheat of poor quality without salt. 27.  The applicant further alleged – but the Government disputed – that while in detention he had developed an allergy resulting in a big swelling on his face which had continued to recur from time to time following his release. His health deteriorated as a result of his detention. 28.  The applicant finally alleged that, during the entire stay at the detention facility, he had been prevented from having any contact with his family members and had not been permitted to receive newspapers or magazines. 29.  On 31 March 2003 the applicant was released from detention after fully serving his sentence. 30.  On 23 September 2003 the applicant was diagnosed with a chronic infection of unknown origin. 31.  In May 2004 the applicant underwent a medical examination and was diagnosed with suspected tuberculosis of the left lung. According to a medical certificate of 9 August 2005, the applicant was suffering from liver problems.