Why Pimps Don’t Get Punished, Part III

www.hetq.am
[September 5, 2005]

(See also: Why Pimps Don’t Get Punished I, Why Pimps Don’t Get Punished II)

Siranush Musayelyan, recruiter. From the village of Lusagyugh, near Echmiadzin. Sentenced twice before.

“On September 29, 2004, Marietta Musayelyan called me and told me that she would be in Armenia in several hours. I couldn't respond, since she immediately hung up the phone and I was amazed at her arrogance, since she was wanted by the police and she knew it. Three days later she called me again on my mobile and we met. Even though she was wanted by the police, we saw each other regularly, and once Marietta even came with many guests to do matagh [a traditional animal sacrifice]. During that time I was interrogated on numerous occasions, but following Marietta's request I did not tell you that she was in Armenia even though I was prepared to do that to help the investigation.”

-Excerpted from a statement by Siranush Musayelyan, November 11, 2004

Siranush Musayelyan's reply to Investigator Khachatryan's question regarding Marietta Musayelyan's plans in Armenia

“According to Marietta, her prostitutes in Dubai ran away from her and didn't give her any money, so she came back to Armenia. She also wanted to see her kids and rest a bit. She didn't give a specific date, but she wanted to leave for Oman via Turkey without telling law enforcement officials.”

Marietta Musayelyan

“They remained in Dubai till September 23, which was my departure date from Dubai, and continued to engage in prostitution. All the girls who came to me, or more correctly were sent to me, arrived in Dubai via Moscow, that is they flew from Yerevan to Moscow, where Araik Aghajanyan or members of his gang (Sevo, Avo, and others) would meet those girls based on the information I had given to Araik before (name, last name, middle name, and clothing and appearance, which I had found out from recruiters by phone) and take them to the apartment they rented. After that I would send $2,000 to Araik for every girl. Then they would make fake Russian passport for the girls, which they used to go to Dubai. I should add that Araik would give me the details in the fake passports and then Omar, a UAE citizen, would make them visas, which I would fax to Araik, and then he would buy Moscow-Dubai plane tickets.

“I want to mention that in 2002 I wanted to go to Dubai, but in the beginning of that year I was deported from Dubai under the name of Marietta Muradyan and consequently, I couldn't return to Dubai under the same name. Therefore, in April 2002 I had a fake marriage; that is, I registered at the Wedding Bureau with Albert Musayelyan, Sirush's brother, after which I received a new passport with a new family name and I freely departed for Dubai. My marriage to Albert was fake; I never had any relations with him. I want to add that the marriage was registered in Echmiadzin's Wedding Bureau.

Question: When, from where, and for what reasons did you enter Armenian territory?

“On September 24, while you [investigators] were still in Dubai, although I had promised that I would come to Armenia and surrender to law enforcement officials, I didn't. Instead, the very same day I took a plane to Istanbul, from where I took a bus to Armenia and entered the country through customs at Bagratashen. To my amazement, even though I was wanted by the police, I freely entered Armenia, even though the customs officers checked my passport and related information. If I am not wrong, I entered Armenia on November 29.”

-Excerpted from a statement by Marietta Musayelyan, November 8, 2004

Although Marietta Musayelyan has been wanted by the police for two years now, she freely enters and exits Armenia. That means that our border guards are just standing at their posts, doing nothing to stop criminals.

From 2002 to 2004, according to the criminal files, recruiters in Armenia sent sixteen Armenian women to Marietta Musayelyan. The following are excerpts from the statements these women gave during their interrogation in Dubai on September 18, 2004, in the presence of Marietta Musayelyan.

A.G (a.k.a. Teacher), Vedi.

“I studied in the Department of Mathematics and Informatics at Kh. Abovyan Institute in Yerevan, and graduated in 1993. After graduation I worked as a mathematics teacher in middle school. In 1991 I married and had a daughter. In 2000 I was laid off and couldn't find another job. To take care of my family, I decided to go to Dubai and work as a prostitute.

‘I work as a prostitute for Marietta of my own will. At this time, I do not wish to go back to Armenia, and I can return whenever I decide to since Marietta has never created any problems for me. I give the money I earn every day to Marietta, and at the end of the month we do the calculations. Every month Marietta or I send $200-$300 to my mother.”

K.T, the village of Haghartzin, Tavush Province. Has an eighth-grade education.

“I lived in Dilijan. I married in 1991. We had three children, who now live with my mother. Since neither my husband nor I had a job, I decided to go to Dubai and make money working as a prostitute.

“I give the money I earn everyday to Marietta, from which she sends $100-$200 every month to my mother in Dilijan. Besides that, according to our agreement, rent, food, clothing and other expenses are subtracted from the money I earn, and the rest is divided between me and Marietta. It is my desire to be a prostitute; nobody forced me to become one. Marietta doesn't treat me or the other girls badly, and I am a prostitute since I don't have any other way of earning for living…”

A.S., Yerevan.

“I lived with my mother, sister and brother at the aforementioned address. None of us worked…

“My parents don't know that I'm a prostitute in Dubai. I told them I went to Moscow to work as a waitress and I ask you to not tell my parent about my current situation.”

K. Kh., refugee. Born in 1972.

“When I was a baby, my parents abandoned me and my sister, and we stayed in the orphanage in Gavar until we were of legal age. In 2000 I came to Yerevan and was accepted at the college of business law in Yerevan. After three years I graduated and worked in a store and then at Kodak. I was renting an apartment in Yerevan and I couldn't afford to buy one on my salary. I decided to go to Dubai, make some money and buy a one room apartment in Yerevan.”

A.K., Yerevan.

“My mother knew that I was going to Dubai to make money as a prostitute. In the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow I was met by Sevo, a dark-skinned skinned, Uzbek-eyed man. It should be noted that in the Dubai airport Marietta took from us both the fake Russian and Armenian passports explaining that we might lose them. From that day to the present I have lived without a passport in the apartment rented by Marietta, and every day I do prostitution and give all the money I earn to Marietta. Of this money, in the seven months that I have been here, Marietta has sent only $700 to my mother. I didn't write a contract with her and I don't have any complaints against her, but I want to work one month on my own and return to Armenia so I can buy an apartment.

M.G (a.k.a. Baby). Born in 1985. When she arrived in Dubai, she was eighteen and eight months pregnant – See also Desert Nights)

“Marietta treats me like a mother; I'm very happy with her and of the money I make every month, I send some to my sister in Yerevan. I do not wish to return to Yerevan, unless I'm deported. It's really good for me here. Marietta takes care of me, helps me in every way. I'm happy that I make money as a prostitute and that I live very well. I give the money I earn to Marietta; we subtract money for rent, food, clothes and the rest we divide between ourselves.”

These women spoke in the presence of their pimp. The investigators didn't ask them any questions; it seemed they didn't want to find anything out. The enslaved women behaved as if they were happy with their life, and especially with their boss, Marietta Musayelyan. The Abovyan prison was also pleased with her, and has requested in court that the notoriously cruel Dubai pimp Marietta Musayelyan be released before her prison term expires, after serving only seven months, to once again resume her illegal activities.

Edik Baghdasaryan, Aghavni Yeghiazaryan