On July 8, the court completed its review of the case against well-known Dubai pimp Aisha, whose real name is Lusine Hakobyan. (See Also “ Another pimp in Court”). Judge Vazgen Lalayan of the Court of First Instance of Yerevan’s Nork Marash and Kentron Districts sentenced Aisha to a one-year probation. She is now free to get back to business.

Hakobyan had been charged by the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Armenia with “organizing pimping” in violation of Article 262 of the Armenian Criminal Code. Senior Prosecutor Armen Boshnagyan of the agency’s Department of Trafficking and Illegal Migration, seem to believe that the case against Hakobyan was strong. Taking into account Aisha’s statement’s during the investigation and the accounts of witnesses, Boshnagyan requested that, “Lusine Hakobyan be proven guilty according to the paragraph 1 of 262 Article of Armenian Criminal Code and be sentenced to 2 years in prison.” But he continued, “ Taking into account her responsibility and other mitigating factors she should no be imprisoned, according to Article 70 of the Armenian Criminal Code. Instead, a one year probationary period should be applied and her actions should be monitored by a local police institution.”

Boshnagyan listed several reasons for seeking the lighter sentence. He said the defendant was the mother of a young child, had never been arrested before, and had not resisted arrest. Aisha’s attorney Hrach Isajanyan added several others, explaining that Aisha had confessed and expressed regret for her crimes, and had voluntarily surrendered to the Armenian police. Isajanyan added that her mother was ill. (During the first session of the court, however, Judge Lalayan noted that no document had been presented to prove that Aisha’s mother was sick, none has been presented since.) The defense lawyer claimed that even the probation sought by the prosecution was too harsh. “The proposed sentence is too strict because she has an underage child and a sick mother. She cannot be under the control of the police and she cannot check with police every 15 days. I think there should be a fine, instead, ” Isajanyan suggested.

On behalf of the Republic of Armenia , Judge Lalayan sentenced the pimp, who had confessed to “bossing” several prostitutes, to only one year of probation, during which time she is required to check in with the police 24 times. Aisha, who is known as the cruelest pimp in Dubai, said, “I feel very bad for the things I did. I ask you to forgive me. I promise this won’t happen again.”