CDA'S LUNCH WITH DEPUTY PG AND ANTI-TIP WORKERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000691 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC, DRL AND G/TIP E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM KWMN KCRM HSTC AM SUBJECT: CDA'S LUNCH WITH DEPUTY PG AND ANTI-TIP WORKERS REF: A) YEREVAN 649 B) YEREVAN 661 YEREVAN 00000691 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: CDA A. F. Godfrey for reasons 1.4 (b, d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) We gathered together post's most reliable anti-TIP interlocutors in the Armenian government for a May 29 lunch at the CDA's residence. The guest list included Deputy Prosecutor General Gevorg Danielyan and two other members of the PG's staff, as well as the heads of the MFA's International Organizations and Americas Departments. Topics of discussion included not just TIP, but also new reforms in the PG's office, the case of deceased businessman Levon Ghulyan (ref A),and a brief discussion of the status of election fraud cases. END SUMMARY. -------------- TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS -------------- ¶2. (C) Our primary goal for this luncheon was to thank our guests for their strong efforts to fight trafficking over the past year, particularly in light of an imminent TIP ranking that will likely fall short of their hopes; with an eye toward sustaining our partners' energy and commitment. CDA emphasized the fact that everyone agrees there is more work to be done, but he also patted our guests on the back for their accomplishments in recent months. ¶3. (C) The PG's staff and our MFA counterparts also discussed their respective roles in the return of two Armenian TIP victims who had been incarcerated in Georgia on illegal migration charges (ref B). The two victims are apparently receiving the care and support they need. MFA Americas Director (A/S equivalent) Armen Yeganian thanked us again for our intervention (via Embassy Tbilisi) with Georgian authorities, which he believed galvanized action from the GOG. Our Armenian partners harbor lingering doubts about the GOG's performance in this case, believing that the Georgians dragged their feet, failed for months to take the Armenian women's trafficking claims seriously, and were relatively uncooperative with the Armenian consul in Tbilisi who sought the victims' release. They credited engagement between the U.S. Embassies in Yerevan and Tbilisi with helping to finally move this issue forward. -------------- HUMAN RIGHTS/ELECTION FRAUD -------------- ¶4. (C) We touched on two other priority themes while we had the Deputy PG's attention. CDA asked Danielyan whether he could share any new information in the case of the death in police custody of Levon Ghulyan, renewing our keen interest in the case. Danielyan demurred, saying all information he could share had already been made public, and that the investigation continued. We also learned that the international experts who performed an independent autopsy on the body had signed an agreement with the GOAM not to disclose their results publicly in advance of the investigation report release, presumably as a condition to gain access to the remains. We also questioned Danielyan about the status of pending election fraud cases arising from the May 12 election. Danielyan told us prosecutors had been working on 14 cases. In four of these, to date, the investigations had been completed and the cases referred to the courts for placement on the docket. Trials are expected in the near future. (Septel will provide a comprehensive update of the various election fraud complaints and their status.) -------------- PROSECUTORS DEMORALIZED BY RESTRUCTURING -------------- ¶5. (C) All members of the PG's staff were clearly upset over impending changes in the PG's office in accordance with a new law that will take effect June 1. The law, about which we will report septel, divests the PG institution of most of its investigative functions, and will result in a staffing cut of about 60 percent, according to Danielyan. Many investigators who currently work in the PG's organization will be transferred to various Armenian police agencies, while others will simply be laid off. Danielyan told CDA that the prosecutors most capable of independent YEREVAN 00000691 002.2 OF 002 endeavor were those most likely to take a buy-out; he expected to lose some of his strongest colleagues. GODFREY