Husband Beat Wife to Death in Masis (VIDEO)

A 20 year old wife, Zaruhi Petrosyan, was killed on October 1, 2010, due to injury from beatings from her husband and mother-in-law. However, the official report states that there was no foul play, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The husband, Yanis Sarkisov, was questioned, but no charges have been filed.

ArmeniaNow has a piece about this, but focuses mostly on the problem of domestic violence in Armenia. I have subtitled the above video (I thank those who uploaded it first on YouTube) to make it more accessible to the non Eastern-Armenian speakers. Please help with corrections as you find them.

Parking Tickets in Armenia are...Different

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Keep this little tidbit in mind the next time you're in Armenia: when the police or the parking people or whoever decide that you've parked in the wrong place, they take your license plate to the police station. That means you have to go to the station, pay your fine, and then get your plate back.

How neat is that?

Source: Flickr

Yerevan Becomes Hell: Fires, Deaths, Misery

Way to outdo yourselves, guys. It wasn't enough that you protested after a relatively fair election, and you continued still even after the police moved in to move you out. And now this:

A police spokesman said that eight people were killed and 33 police officers injured in the clashes. He said several officers had been injured by gunfire.

Demonstrators hurled stones and petrol bombs, setting vehicles on fire, and police and troops responded with truncheons, tear gas and by firing bullets in the air.

TV pictures showed burnt-out cars and smashed shop windows in the city.

This is why foreigners are afraid of Armenia, whether visiting or investing. We mock some of the destabilized countries in Africa and Latin America, but what do we do when it happens on our own turf by our own people? Do we point fingers and blame the other guy? Do we kill people and destroy property to show dissatisfaction?

Source: BBC News

Armenian Police Clear Protesters

The dream is over, but not like the girls in the picture care. They're out protesting because their friends are there, happy with any outcome.

Scuffles broke out as police began forcing the demonstrators on to buses after 10 days of protests against the alleged rigging of the election.

Hundreds of police moved against the opposition camp on Freedom Square early on Saturday, dispersing the few hundred protesters still there. Media were kept away from the square as army lorries took away the protesters' tents.

But I thought Armenia was a democracy! That protesting would have an effect! That kindess would win over evil! What happened??

Reality happened.

Source: BBC News

Gary Kasparov Beat, Detained

The latest trend in "democratic" Russia:

Riot police beat and detained opposition leader Garry Kasparov Saturday as they took dozens of protesters into custody at a rally against President Vladimir Putin, his assistant said.

He was later taken to a city court, where he was charged with organizing an unsanctioned protest and resisting arrest. The court proceedings were continuing Saturday evening and it was unclear whether Kasparov would be released.

Kasparov has been speaking out against Putin for quite some time.

Source: AP

Expensive Armenian License Plates

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Here are some pictures of unusual license plates. These plates are different and their owners had to pay big sums for the privilege. Of course, plates with repeating digits signify someone with significantly more connections, whether in the criminal underworld or some other place of high power.

And back in the United States, our idea of individuality is to write Armenian words in English, such as HAMOVIK.

Picture by Arthur Papyan

Video: Bribing Policemen

I'm all for these types of experiments, especially if it's for the greater good. Sometimes, however, every attempt to get pulled over just doesn't seem to work!

If you've ever considered driving in Yerevan or wondered how bribes are given, have a look.

Source: Armenian Observer Blog

Police Beat Protesters or: The Face of Freedom

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This is what happens in Armenia when you attempt to promote democracy: you get beat.

Today, after the rally organized by the Impeachment bloc, Republic and New Times parties, the special police forces beat participants of the rally and march to KGB.

Armenians, like all people, are struggling to express themselves freely without the threat of being beat or killed for doing so: It is fundamental human right and one that cannot be denied by anyone. People like Mher, pictured above, take personal blows to fight for what is right!

Pictures and quote from Aramazd

Garry Kasparov Questioned by Russian Police

Even more unrest from the Russian Monarchy, I mean, republic.

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov has been questioned by Russia's security service on suspicion of making extremist comments.

Mr Kasparov, 44, is now an opposition activist and was briefly detained during recent protests against President Vladimir Putin.

Wondering why I'm reporting about Kasparov? Well, he's half Armenian - on his mother's side!

Source: BBC News

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

An Armenian Parking Ticket

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Interesting, isn't it? The text in the top middle says, "Dear Motorist." How refreshing is it to be greeted on a parking ticket?

Armenia Blog Exclusive: Make your own Armenian Parking Ticket:
1) Use a word processor to create a similar design. Be sure to use similar clip art.
2) Print out in black and white.
3) Photocopy as many as you want.
4) Hand out tickets.
5) Have fun!

Source: Flickr

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.

Turkish Policemen Fired Over Videotape

Before you get upset with the picture above, let me explain that it shows Hrant Dink's killer, center, with policemen on either side. Why are they portraying a killer with the national flag on video?

Two Turkish security officials lost their jobs on Monday in a widening investigation into video footage that appeared to portray as a hero the teenage killer of a prominent Turkish-Armenian editor.

The video footage has revived fears in Turkey of a shadowy "deep state" working in collusion with criminal gangs. The "deep state" is code for hardline nationalists purportedly based in the security forces who are ready to break the law if need be in defense of their ideology.

Turkey's internal state is very confusing to me. Can it really be the case that ultranationalists have penetrated deep into Turkey's security forces?

Source: ArmeniaLiberty

Mother Abandons Newborn Baby in Garbage Can

This is one of those stories that makes you cringe, whether you're Armenian or not:

A 29-year-old resident of Tbilisi, Georgia, Irma Hovsepian, was arrested by police after her newborn daughter was found in a garbage bin, Georgian Rustavi-2 TV station reported. It said Irma Hovsepian was arrested at her house and confessed to throwing her baby after several hour interrogation.

The infant, placed in a pack, was found in the garbage bin in the Armenian-populated district of Havlabar. The infant was taken to prenatal medicine center for treatment.

Just goes to show that there are people like this in all cultures, races, religions, etc. What a horrible thing to have done.

Source: Armenia Blog

Armenia to End Police Bribery

Seems like the good old days of bribing the road police in place of costly fines may be at an end.

Traffic police have long been associated with bribery in Armenia rather than road safety. Armen Malkhasyan, a lawyer at the Yerevan police service, says that eliminating the taking of bribes from drivers is one of the main purposes of the program. That is why the program replaced stationary officers with car patrols throughout the city.

“You won’t see now any stationary roadside policemen. If you do, call the police,” says Malkhasyan. The installation of cameras with fixed-penalty fines for violations is intended to make the work of policemen easier, because many do not dare to stop luxury cars of state officials or wealthy businessmen at present.

By the way, this program is to cost $40 million until 2010. Let's hope it works, because police corruption is one of those Communist-era stains that just will not go away.

Source: Armenia Now

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.