Assassinations in Armenia

For the morbid few amongst you, here is a rundown of the many assassinations that have recently taken place in our homeland.

The assassination attempt against the Mayor of Gyumri Monday night, leaving three dead and three wounded, is the eighth high-profile and public attack within just over a year. In all the cases, only two arrests have been made, and none brought to justice.

While the entire list is too long to put here, here's is a sampling:

June 10: Sedrak Zatikyan, 26, (owner of a popular Yerevan café), son of late National Assemblyman and district head, Vahan Zatikyan, shot around 3 p.m. dead on a street in Yerevan. Also killed was Karine Sargsyan, 37, mother of three.

February 15 (this year): Artashes Hambartsyumyan, 32, and Mher Poghosyan, 34, shot to death around 4 a.m. inside Relax nightclub. Both believed to have clan connections.

Check out the rest. Sort of seems like Chicago 80 years ago, doesn't it? Now, where are those untouchables?

Source: ArmeniaNow

Increased Crime in Armenia

This goes hand-in-hand with an earlier post about an increase in crime.

State prosecutors reported on Friday an almost 10 percent increase in the number of various crimes committed crime in Armenia last year.

According to them, 75 people were murdered last year, sharply up from 55 such cases officially registered in 2005. Law-enforcement authorities also registered a more than 30 percent surge in instances of drug abuse and trafficking that totaled 1,510, or nearly 16 percent of the overall crime statistics.

"...the increased crime rate partly resulted from a new computerized crime registry introduced in Yerevan’s police department last year."

Spin it however you want: chances are the sharp rise is due to greater opportunities in the criminal world and lack of proper response by the police and related agencies.

Source: ArmeniaLiberty Picture by Onnik Krikorian.

Yet Another Armenian Attacked in Moscow

Remember the little boy who was killed in Moscow? This is a disturbing trend.

Today at the center of Moscow unknown people have fired shots at Arabuli Robinson and his driver Emil Karapetyan, Radio Station "Azatutyun" informs.

According to the prosecutor's office, the criminals fired just as Robinson and Karapetyan were getting into their Toyota. It was an attempt on their lives, the prosecutor's office reports.

Robinson and Karapetyan have been taken to hospital. No other details are reported.

What kind of an ally is Russia if it is doing seemingly nothing to prevent the deaths of innocent people, especially minorities? Friends aren't just economic.

Source: A1+

Gagik "Dodi Gago" Tsarukian: A Hero To Armenias?

It is a sad day in Armenian history when a convicted rapist, an economic thief, and a ruthless criminal is considered anything other than what he really is!

Gagik Tsarukian, a government-connected millionaire businessman, is the most popular and revered individual in modern-day Armenia, according to a new U.S.-funded opinion poll released this month.

Of all the living Armenians mentioned by respondents, Tsarukian had by far the highest rating: 8 percent.

If you, like many Armenians belive that my claims above are unwarranted, keep watching this blog for a detailed, referenced look at the real Dodi Gago.

For our non-Armenian speaking friends, "Dodi" in his nick name means "Dumb"!

Source: ArmeniaLiberty

Armenian Mobsters on TV

I never thought I'd see the day when Armenians start worrying about being portrayed as members of organized crime.

The Armenian Mob has been taking over the tube lately with guest-starring-criminal roles on three of our favorite shows: in a trial of a Mob boss on TNT’s The Closer; in a money-train robbery on FX’s The Shield; and now in Showtime’s comedy Weeds they're muscling in on the grow house of weed entrepreneur Nancy Botwin, a.k.a. Lacy LaPlante (Mary-Louise Parker). So why the sudden popularity?

It has been my experience that Armenians are also exposed as shrewd businesspeople on TV and in movies, though sadly these roles have limited. I'd take seeing us as successful, smart businesspeople, scientist, leaders, and the like, rather than mindless, bloodhungry criminals.

Source: EW.

Crime Rate in Armenia Increases 13%

I'm always hoping for positive news, but then we get something like this.

Armenian national statistical committee said 8,202 crimes were registered by law-enforcement bodies in January-October of 2006, 13.2 percent up from a year. It said 938 crimes were against persons, including 60 murders and 22 murder attempts, 532 cases of intentional injury and 48 cases of sexual assault.

Another 1,853 crimes were against public order and people's health, a 30 percent year-over-year growth. One case of banditry, 344 cases of hooliganism, 157 cases of illegal arms possession, 468 cases of traffic rules violation were registered. The committee said 162 people were killed in road accidents and 783 drug-related crimes were reported.

Out of 264 economic crimes 40 were related to printing or sale of fake bank notes. Forty cases of power abuse and draft were reported.

One can only guess how many crimes are not reported at all.

Source: ArmenPress. Picture by Onnik Krikorian.