ARMENIAN GENERAL'S SON ALLEGEDLY INVOVLED IN MURDER, BUT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000296

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SUBJECT: ARMENIAN GENERAL'S SON ALLEGEDLY INVOVLED IN MURDER, BUT
NOT CHARGED

YEREVAN 00000296 001.2 OF 002


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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) Armenia's Association of Investigative Journalists has
reported that the son of a notorious retired army general and Member
of Parliament, Seyran Saroyan, has escaped justice for his alleged
participation in the March 13 murder of a youth from Edjmiadzin.
The murder allegedly took place at the orders of the general
himself, who had become enraged when hearing three rival youth had
wounded his son with a knife. These youth had reportedly tried to
stop the general's son's unwelcome advances toward a young lady in
the city. Police have charged one of the general's distant
relatives with premeditated murder, but it remains unclear whether
that relative was indeed present at the scene. This and other
similar incidents in recent years reinforce the impression of many
ordinary Armenians that there is a class of well-connected
individuals and oligarchs here who, along with their families and
security details, can rob, kill, and maim with impunity. END
SUMMARY.

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BACKGROUND OF THE MURDER: GENERAL'S ORDER FROM MOSCOW
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2. (SBU) On March 21 the Association of Investigative Journalists
published a report in its online Hetq (Trace) journal detailing the
murder of the 23-year-old Sepuh Karapetian. Basing its report on a
friend of the deceased who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of
retaliation, Hetq reported that Zarzand Saroyan, the son of the
notorious retired army general, former corps commander, and Member
of Parliament Seyran Saroyan, participated in the murder along with
his father's bodyguards and a relative. The anonymous friend told
Hetq that his friend was murdered in retaliation for trying to ask
Zarzand Saroyan to cease his unwelcome advances toward an Edjmiadzin
young lady. When Karapetian, his brother and another friend raised
the issue with Saroyan, a fight broke out, and Karapetian's friend
wounded Zarzand with a knife -- allegedly in self-defense. Hetq
wrote in its March 21 report that Edjmiadzin police initially
brought criminal charges against Sepuh's older brother for his
involvement in the altercation.


3. (SBU) Upon learning about the incident the same day, General
Saroyan, who was in Moscow at the time, allegedly urged his son to
exact revenge on the youth. The younger Saroyan, with approximately
eight of the ex-general's bodyguards, then allegedly proceeded to
track down the three youth and, upon locating them, subjected them
to a savage beating. According to Karapetian's anonymous friend,
when the 23-year-old's body was found, it showed signs of torture.
Karapetian's shoes and socks had been removed and his feet beaten to
a pulp; the deceased's legs had turned white from repetitive blows;
and his hands had been pierced by a sharp implement in the manner of
a crucifixion. (NOTE: General Saroyan is a member of the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia faction in the parliament, though not a
member of the party itself. END NOTE.)

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POLICE RESPONSE PUZZLING
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4. (SBU) On March 14 the Police posted a report on its website that
they had received a phone call late on March 13 from the 2nd Yerevan
Hospital stating it had received a patient from Echmiatsin who died
without regaining consciousness. The initial examination of the
body showed wounds to the face and head. Police later identified
the man as Sepuh Karapetian. Upon an inquiry from the Embassy,
Sayat Shirinian, spokesperson of Armenia's national police, told
Emboff that an investigation into the death was in progress, but
that he could provide no further details. Shirinian, who during the
conversation showed his lack of familiarity with details of the
case, surmised to Emboff that Hetq's online report would be checked
during the investigation.


5. (SBU) In a follow-up report, Hetq reported that on March 31 the
Public Relations Division of the Police had informed them about the
arrest of Arayik Saroyan in connection with the case, who has since
been charged with premeditated murder. Arayik Saroyan is reportedly
the second cousin of General Saroyan, through the General's father's
side of the family. According to Hetq, General Saroyan's father was
present at the scene of the crime with eight other persons. Hetq
has been unable, however, to ascertain whether Arayik Saroyan was
indeed there as well.


YEREVAN 00000296 002.2 OF 002


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AUTOPSY COVER-UP ALLEGED WHILE YOUTH IN HIDING
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6. (SBU) According to the anonymous source of Hetq's report, Yerevan
forensic experts who examined Karapetian's corpse unsuccessfully
tried to conceal the signs of torture. The same source said the
victim's family had initially wanted to protest Karapetian's cruel
death and demand justice by placing his coffin in Edjmiadzin's
central square. (NOTE: Edjmiadzin is the location of Armenia's
Holy See and the residence of Armenia's supreme religious figure,
the Catholicos. END NOTE.) They reconsidered, though, out of fear
for their elder son who is still in hiding and being sought by
police and allegedly by thugs in the employ of General Saroyan.
Hetq also alleged in its March 21 report that in 2007 the same
Zarzand Saroyan was involved in a hit-and-run with two 10-year-old
boys that left one dead and the other crippled.

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COMMENT
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7. (SBU) Sadly this would not be the first time that members of the
ruling elite have behaved as a law unto themselves or been involved
in gruesome murders. We customarily hear reports several times per
year of influential generals or oligarchs, or their families or
retainers, being involved in violent altercations with average
citizens unlucky or imprudent enough to get in their way. Such
incidents are routinely swept under the carpet. Yerevan residents
also still mention the 2001 incident in which an inebriated
Georgian-Armenian man was beaten to death by President Kocharian's
security detail after speaking flippantly to the president during a
Yerevan jazz cafe concert. One member of the security detail was
sentenced to probation for that incident. It is precisely incidents
such as these that deepen Armenians' feelings of helpless rage that
there is a class of wealthy and thuggish regime supporters who are
effectively free to maim and kill ordinary citizens with impunity.

PENNINGTON