TOP ADVISER CLAIMS KOCHARIAN ORDERED TOUGHER

C O N F I D E N T I A L YEREVAN 000840 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, G/TIP, DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/21/2016 TAGS: PGOV KTIP KWMN KCRM PHUM PREL SMIG TU AE AM SUBJECT: TOP ADVISER CLAIMS KOCHARIAN ORDERED TOUGHER SENTENCES FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKERS REF: YEREVAN 836 Classified By: DCM A. F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b, d). ¶1. (C) Presidential National Security Adviser Garnik Isaghulyan told us June 21 that President Kocharian ordered law enforcement officials to toughen court verdicts for human traffickers and ensure that criminals are sentenced to the fullest extent of the law. This instruction was delivered at a closed-door meeting convened by Kocharian after the release of this year's TIP Report. Isaghulyan confirmed attendance reported in reftel as the justice minister, head of the National Security Service, head of the state police and the prosecutor general. ¶2. (C) We reached Isaghulyan June 21, and he told us that the officials who attended the meeting complained that, although they knew Armenian women were trafficked to Turkey, the absence of diplomatic relations with Turkey hinders cooperation with Turkish law enforcement. They also said that authorities in the United Arab Emirates are not interested in cooperating with them. Isaghulyan characterized the president's manner during the meeting as "strict," and said that he asked the law enforcement officials to find a way to improve the situation. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶3. (C) While Isaghulyan has proved to be a well-informed source in the past, he knows that this is the message we hoped to hear on TIP. We will track closely how sentences are handed down on trafficking cases in the future. EVANS