Court Case Continues Amidst Claims and Counterclaims

“Hasmik paid me up till April and Gohar always paid Anna,” said Yelena, adding that Hasmik had sent her to Turkey to wash dishes. It turns out that Hasmik was forced to “turn tricks” in the sex trade at the Ani Hotel for 7 long months.

Yelena is from Karvatchar, in liberated Artsakh. In August, 2008, she came to Yerevan to look for work. Not finding any, Yelena made her way to Artashat, to the home of the friend of her former neighbor. There, she made the acquaintance of Hasmik Qaramyan, a friend of the home owner. Hasmik related that she had made good money a while back working as a waitress and told Hasmik that she could set her up doing the same work in Turkey at the café owned by Gohar Kirakosyan. “She said I could make between $1,000-1,200 a month and that Gohar would deposit the money in a bank deposit in my name. She said I could withdraw the money once I returned to Armenia,” Yelena told the police investigator. “She said that Gohar would take care of the travel expenses and would give me lodgings and meals at her hotel. I would have to compensate her for the travel costs from my wages later on.”

Women claim they were forced into sex trade

On the same day, Yelena also met with Anna, another friend of the Artashat home owner. Yelena told Anna about the proposal Hasmik had offered her. Anna also was attracted by the business proposal and the two of them spoke to Gohar by phone. They checked the validity of the offer and, once convinced, expressed a willingness to work at Gohar’s cafe. In September, 2008, Hasmik first sent Anna and later Yelena   for Turkey by bus. The two women were directed by Hasmik to fool their relatives as to their actual destination. They told their relatives they were leaving for Leningrad (St. Petersburg). The investigator took notes on all of this – on how Gohar Kirakosyan, once housing the two girls at the Ani Hotel, took possession of their passports; of how they were beat and forced to engage in sex with clients; how Gohar took all their earnings.

Women never told their story to Armenian police

What’s interesting is that Yelena and Anna were deported back to Armenia by the Turkish authorities in May, 2009. They never told their story to law enforcement once back in Armenia. It was only months later, when the police came upon their names as victims of “trafficking”, that the women broke down and recounted their story, testifying against Hasmik Qaramyan. The case, revolving around the figure of pimp mistress Gohar Kirakosyan, is now being examined at the Kentron Court. For years now, many girls from Armenia have been “taken under the wing” by Gohar, sent to Turkey and exploited sexually. Surprisingly, Gohar hasn’t been charged with anything in the case. An all points bulletin, seeking her arrest, was issued back in 2003, but to date, she hasn’t been found. Hasmik Qaramyan has been charged with entering into a prior arrangement with Gohar Kirakosyan to recruit and send Yelena and Anna to Turkey for purposes of exploitation.

Defense attorney claims no trafficking involved

Anzhela Hobosyan, Hasmik’s attorney, doesn’t agree with the pre-trial examiner’s evaluation that the women were subjected to “trafficking”. She questions how it is that the women were sending home money and parcels from Turkey and how, on several occasions, they made their way to the Bagratashen border crossing to extend their visas. Why, she asks, didn’t the women ever attempt to return to Armenia and instead returned to Turkey. “In one case, Anna visited Georgia for several days, but didn’t return to Armenia,” states the lawyer. At the previous trial session, Hasmik was questioned by the court. She argued that no one could be forced into the sex trade in Turkey, given that “there are cops all over the place and any girl could seek their assistance.” Hasmik added that her accusers knew full well where they were going and why. “I have nothing to do with it. I merely telephoned Gohar. They spoke with Gohar and she explicitly said they had to work as prostitutes. They had found out that I had gone to Turkey and directly requested that I hook them up. It’s not like anyone forced them. The girls were complaining that they had no work; so I helped out. It was at their request that I put them on the bus and sent them off. I had no contact with them afterwards,” says Hasmik, adding that Yelena telephoned her twice, telling her to send more girls since there was loads of work in Turkey. “I told her that there aren’t any girls and to stop pestering me. Later, when she continued calling I was forced to change my telephone number,” recounts Hasmik Qaramyan. Yelena was present in court for Hasmik’s questioning. Declaring that it was all a pack of lies, Yelena explained that Hasmik switched the number for other reasons. She claims that in December, 2008, Gohar Kirakosyan sent $500 to Hasmik. Half was to go to Yelena’s relatives and the other half to Anna’s. “My sister later called Hasmik to arrange for payment, but she had turned off the phone,” explains Yelena.

The money trail – who to believe?

Hasmik countered this allegation by saying, “No, her sister called saying that Yelena had sent me $500. I told her she was wrong, that nothing had been sent and why would she send me anything. The sister told me she had a boyfriend in the police, threatening me that she would have me arrested. Later, they returned. Seven months had passed. The sister first testified against me and then the others.” Hasmik’s attorney, Anzhela Hobosyan, requested that the court verify whether $500 was transferred to her client’s bank account during 2008. Hasmik declared in open court that she had no personal gain in sending Yelena and Anna to Turkey. However, during the pre-trial examination, Hasmik accepted the charges against her and testified that during the period 2003-2006, while in Trabzon, Gohar Kirakosyan had taken her passport and had forced her to have sex with numerous clients. Gohar then proceeded to seize the $15,000 Hasmik earned in the sex trade and purchased some $5,000 of jewellery and $2,000 of clothes. Returning to Armenia in 2006, Hasmik telephoned Gohar several times, demanding that she return what was hers. At first, Gohar refused, but in 2008 she agreed to return the cash and goods on condition that Hasmik return to Turkey. “I told her I was now married and couldn’t engage in prostitution anymore,” Hasmik wrote in her testimony, noting that later on Gohar suggested that Hasmik send her two girls, convincing them that they wouldn’t be swindled if they went to Turkey. If Hasmik made good, then Gohar promised to return the goods. Hasmik took Gohar at her word and sent Yelena and Anna to Trabzon, but she never got back her cash and property. Nevertheless, Hasmik claims that she never deceived the girls and that they knew full well that they were going to Turkey to work as prostitutes. Prosecuting Attorney Hounan Babayan has asked the court for time to cross-examine Hasmik Qaramyan regarding the contradictions in her pre-trial and court testimony. The court has scheduled the trial to continue on September 17.

P.S. Yelena and Anna are fictitious names.