Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07YEREVAN691
2007-05-30 07:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Yerevan
Cable title:
CDA'S LUNCH WITH DEPUTY PG AND ANTI-TIP WORKERS
how-toVZCZCXRO9543 RR RUEHDBU DE RUEHYE #0691/01 1500738 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 300738Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5676 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1266 RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHDC 0062 RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0362
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
-------
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
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