VZCZCXRO8737
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHYE #0162/01 0461209
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151209Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4883
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0056
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 0052
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1190
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000162 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR G/TIP, DRL AND EUR/CARC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KTIP KCRM KWMN HSTC AM
SUBJECT: MAJOR TRAFFICKING RECRUITER SENT TO PRISON 
 
REFS: A) 06 YEREVAN 1715 B) 06 YEREVAN 1667 C) 06 YEREVAN 1548 D)06 
YEREVAN 1524 E) 06 YEREVAN 1161 F) 06 YEREVAN 1091 
 
YEREVAN 00000162  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
(U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) Four TIP defendants were convicted January 31, after a 
four-month hearing.  The defendants had been accused in connection 
with a case involving the three witnesses (reftels) who complained 
of misconduct by an investigator in the prosecutor general's office 
the previous summer.  This case prompted a series of embassy 
interventions with high-level government officials during the summer 
and fall, which eventually led to the restructuring of the 
Prosecutor General's Anti-TIP Unit and the transfer and demotion of 
the accused investigator (ref A).  All four defendants  were charged 
under the pimping statute, and one was also subject to trafficking 
charges.  The sentences varied from suspended prison terms to five 
years in jail.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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TRAFFICKER SUPPLIED WOMEN TO PIMPS IN DUBAI AND TURKEY 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The central figure of the case is Gayane Melkonyan, who 
recruited vulnerable women on behalf of pimps in Turkey and Dubai 
during the last few years.  She was charged under both the 
trafficking and pimping statutes of the Criminal Code.  Two of the 
pimps, Mairanush Harutyunyan and Ruzanna Baghdasaryan, both of whom 
operated in Turkey, were charged under the pimping statute, which 
criminalizes the "engagement in prostitution of other persons for 
profit."  The fourth defendant, Sousanna Nikoghosyan, was involved 
with Melkonyan in recruiting women for Harutyunyan and Baghdasaryan 
and was charged under the pimping statute. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Procuracy has launched criminal cases under the 
trafficking statute against three other pimps to whom Melkonyan 
supplied women.  These pimps are: Gohar Kirakosyan, operating in 
Trabzon, Turkey; Irina Yenokyan, operating in Dubai; and Meline 
Gevorgyan, operating in Aidn-Kushadas, Turkey.  All have been 
declared wanted by the state. 
 
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VICTIMS AND WITNESSES 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) According to the case materials, Melkonyan, aided by 
Nikoghosyan, sent three women each to Harutyunyan and Baghdasaryan. 
The six women all became witnesses in the case.  Each testified in 
court that they were all well aware that they were going to work as 
prostitutes, engaged in it voluntarily, and had no further demands. 
The three witnesses who had earlier complained to the Hope and Help 
NGO about mistreatment by investigators (ref F), later recanted 
their original accusations against Harutyunyan.  According to court 
documents, Melkonyan also sent four women to the other pimps (now 
wanted).  She promised each woman a job as a hairdresser or a 
waitress, but all were forced into prostitution. 
 
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CONVICTIONS 
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¶4. (SBU) Melkonyan was sentenced to five years' imprisonment and 
Nikoghosyan received a two-year prison sentence.  Harutyunyan 
received a two-year suspended sentence, on the basis of her 
cooperation with the investigation, confession of guilt, and the 
fact that she has cancer.  Baghdasaryan was also given a two-year 
suspended sentence due to her cooperation with investigators, 
confession of guilt, and the testimony of a witness who said 
Baghdasaryan saved her life.  The sentences were lighter than those 
which would be required for the same crimes committed under the the 
tougher new law, enacted July 2006, because the criminal acts were 
committed prior to that change. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Hope and Help NGO told us that the judge, Surik Kostanyan 
of the first instance court in Shengavit community, showed 
considerable sensitivity towards the victims and witnesses 
throughout the case.  In one instance, the defense attorney 
sarcastically asked a victim whether she had been a virgin before 
arriving in the destination country.  Kostanyan reprimanded the 
defense attorney, saying the question was not relevant to the 
trial. 
 
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YEREVAN 00000162  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
COMMENT 
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¶6. (SBU) This verdict is an example of the GOAM's stiffening -- 
though yet imperfect -- resolve to  achieve better prosecution and 
punishment of traffickers.  The one trafficking charge was not 
reduced, and the application of the pimping statute for the other 
defendants was appropriate, as there was no evidence to prove that 
they were involved in anything but pimping.  We are still concerned 
about the fact that the victims changed their testimony in the court 
room to the benefit of the defendants, and have raised our concerns 
with state officials that their testimony in this respect may have 
been pressured or bought off.  However, we hope that the reorganized 
Anti-TIP unit will perform better in protecting future victims from 
compromise, though this remains to be demonstrated.  The unit's 
reorganization demoted and transferred out a thuggish investigator, 
but unfortunately has also deprived the unit of a conscientious 
prosecutor, whom we respected. 
 
GODFREY