As the subject, human trafficking, is an issue of concern to us, and one that we are currently covering, we are pleased to reprint the following article from the February 4-10, 2005 issue of USA ARMENIAN LIFE MAGAZINE.
On August 13, 2003 the Prosecutor's Office of Armenia instituted proceedings against Armenuhi Simonyan, based on charges brought by Marietta Ghazakhetyan. As we previously reported, in 2001 Armenuhi Simonyan lured Marietta Ghazakhetyan to the United Arab Emirates with the promise of a well-paid job, and then forced her into prostitution.
Hetq-online reported earlier that police officers in Vanadzor were involved in trafficking in women (Trafficking in Armenian women). In some cases the police officers themselves were backing the procurers. Since our reports, the Police Department has initiated an internal investigation into the Vanadzor police. And as we were informed by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Armenia, Senior Lieutenant Gagik Gevorgyan, a platoon chief for...
"My life is ruined. There's nothing I can do to change it. I'm lost, and I don't know how long I can live like this," says 38-year-old Mary Hovhannissian (the victims' names have been changed).
"Every time I had a client I wondered how Armenuhi could get away with it. How could she sell me like this and I couldn't do anything? I took the only chance I had and I escaped from that hell," recalls Narine Karapetyan, who had been tricked into going to the United Arab Emirates for prostitution.
"My friend Armenuhi deceived me. She promised me a well-paid job in the United Arab Emirates. So I went. Once I got there she took my passport and forced me into prostitution to make money for her," recalls Narine Karapetyan (the victims' names have been changed).