[December 18, 2006]
Our sources in Dubai have informed us that the notorious pimps Amalya Mnatsakanyan and Marieta Musayelyan have brought two new groups of women to the city. In recent years, the two pimps were indicted several times in Armenia for their activities. They had been sought by Interpol for years. Yet when the court made its ruling it took mitigating circumstances into account and gave them short prison terms. And both women were released early. 43-year-old Amalya Mnatsakanyan is also known as Nano. Out of respect for her experience, law enforcement officials call her Mother Pimp.
On October 16, 2000 Nano was put on probation for her trafficking activities. But she kept working throughout the two years of probation and subsequently.
Starting in September 2002 Mnatsakanyan was sought by police. In 2003, two criminal cases were merged; the new case was based on charges that Mnatsakanyan had forced the women that had been recruited into sexual exploitation.
Investigators discovered that in 2002-2003 Nana also "faked and took into possession official documents, and instigated and supported others in illegally crossing the state borders of the Republic of Armenia."
The United Arab Emirates police, following the request of our law enforcement officials, arrested Amalya Mnatsakanyan, and on March 10, 2004 she was extradited to Armenia. From July 2 to August 25 the Court of First Instance of the Kentron and Nork Marash Districts of Yerevan reviewed the case.
Marine Vardanyan, one of Nano's victims, wrote in her testimony "I and others like me were subjected to unspeakable torture. Whatever sick perversions there are, they forced us to do them. And all this was directed by Nano; she was our boss. She didn't spare anyone, even when we were sick she forced us to service clients, so she could earn money. People like her should be destroyed." In court, Vardanyan testified, “They took my passport from me and forced me to do whatever they wanted. I stayed 21 days in Dubai and didn't earn a single penny. Whatever I earned I had to give to Nano. But I wasn't able to adapt. I went to the police and was deported. I came to Armenia in horrible shape. Now I have a third degree disability."
The investigation found that between 2000 and 2003 Amalya Mnatsakanyan had recruited over 40 women and sent them to the UAE. According to the prosecution data, she earned $221,000 during that time.
Nano refused to give testimony in the court, though she pled guilty.
Since the crimes were committed between 1998 and 2003, the court used the old Criminal Code to determine her sentence. The previous Criminal Code contained nothing on human trafficking, so Nano was imprisoned for two years according to Article 262 on pimping. She was incarcerated for only two months. When she was released she went back to work. Even then, according to our sources, Nano was sponsored by generals. That is why she got out of jail so quickly and was not afraid to go back to work.
Hetq has written about Marieta Musayelyan several times. We met her victims both in Dubai and in Armenia (See Armenians in the Dubai Sex Trade).
The court always gave light sentences to the thrice-convicted Musayelyan. In May 2005 she was given an early release. (See Even the Court Supports the Pimp)
This time, Musayelyan recruited the women herself. In the first group there were seven women, mainly from the regions. At the end of November Marieta transported the girls to Dubai via Moscow. She was accompanied by her boyfriend, known as Serozh. Nano took the three women to Dubai via Moscow.
Our source in Dubai met Nano and asked her "Aren't you afraid to come back?” She replied, "I have guarantees from everyone. Why should I be afraid? I've paid the money."
We found out that Nano bought all the Yerevan-Moscow-Dubai airline tickets through Delta Armenia Travel Agency, and departed between November 18 and 25.
"Nano bought several girls from Ano, who lives in the Erebuni district dormitory. One of them was the daughter of a relative of Ano's. Susan from Shengavit sold a girl from Gyumri. Susan is now in the Abovyan prison." We learned this from a friend of Marieta Musayelyan's who visited our office. Her relative had also been taken by Marieta to Dubai. When we suggested that she go to law enforcement officials, she replied that she was afraid to create trouble.
Edik Bagdasaryan
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