VZCZCXRO4367
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHYE #0406 0941306
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 041306Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5228
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000406 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, DRL AND G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/05/2017 
TAGS: HSTC PHUM PREL PGOV KCRM KWMN SMIG AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA REQUESTS UZBEK HELP TO LOCATE ESCAPED 
TRAFFICKER 
 
 
Classified By: CDA A. F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b, d). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (C) The Armenian Police has renewed its request for 
assistance from Uzbek law enforcement in locating a convicted 
trafficker who escaped from an Armenian prison in early 2006. 
 The trafficker, Anush Zakharyants, is an ethnic Armenian 
citizen of Uzbekistan, who is believed to be hiding in 
Samarkand.  The GOAM reports that, despite an initial inquiry 
in 2006, and follow-up in early April, it has not received a 
substantive response from Uzbekistan.  We believe the GOAM is 
exercising all the options available to it, and remain 
hopeful about the outcome of its efforts.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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BACKGROUND ON ESCAPE 
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¶2. (C) Zakharyants, one of the first convicted traffickers in 
Armenia, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison in June 2004. 
She had been convicted of trafficking nine women from 
Uzbekistan to Armenia.  She was granted a five-day medical 
leave of absence from prison in February 2006, in accordance 
with Armenian law, however, she did not return to prison. 
Following a failed search by the prison, the Kotayk Regional 
Procuracy declared Zakharyants wanted on charges of escape 
from imprisonment. 
 
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CDA RAISES ISSUE WITH MFA 
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¶3. (C) CDA raised the issue with Deputy Foreign Minister 
Arman Kirakossian during a March 27 meeting, stressing that 
the GOAM should demonstrate its commitment to fighting 
trafficking by staying on top of the case.  We received a 
response from the MFA April 3 noting that the GOAM sent a 
letter containing Zakharyants' known addresses in Uzbekistan 
to the Uzbek police on July 11, 2006.  They have not received 
a reply.  Shortly after CDA's meeting with Kirakossian, the 
Armenian police called the Uzbek side to follow up on the 
July 2006 letter, and were told that the Uzbeks would "find 
out who was in charge of the case" and call them back.  As of 
April 4, there was no response.  The GOAM told us that 
Zakharyants was declared wanted throughout the CIS in May 
¶2006.  Though Armenia and Uzbekistan do not have an 
extradition treaty, their legal cooperation is regulated 
through a 1995 bilateral agreement between their respective 
internal affairs ministries and through a 1993 CIS-wide legal 
assistance convention. 
 
¶4. (C) Polchief discussed the issue with staff from the 
Prosecutor General's Office during an April 3 lunch.  In a 
follow up e-mail, prosecutor Louise Manukian told us that, in 
the event that Zakharyants' Uzbek citizenship precludes her 
extradition, the GOAM will encourage the GOU to prosecute her 
in Uzbekistan. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶5. (C) From our perspective, the GOAM took all the necessary 
steps to locate Zakharyants following her escape, though they 
could have been a bit more diligent in following up with the 
Uzbeks.  This investigative malaise, however, is not limited 
to trafficking cases; in fact, Armenian law enforcement 
routinely let cases lie fallow.  We are pleased with the 
MFA's quick and substantive response following CDA's meeting 
with the deputy foreign minister, and are hopeful that the 
government's renewed efforts to engage Uzbek law enforcement 
will bear fruit in the search for Zakharyants. 
GODFREY