Armenia’s General Prosecutor’s Office Promises to Monitor Case of Abuse Victim Zaruhi Petrosyan

The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women (Armenia) organized a demonstration in front of the RA Prosecutor General’s Office in Yerevan yesterday in order to demand the just prosecution of all responsible parties for Zaruhi Petrosyan, a 20-year-old mother who was brutally murdered by her husband and mother-in-law in Masis, Armenia, on Oct. 1, 2010.

“The investigation is already complete, we are in contact with the attorney; the examination will begin this month. I think, such monitoring [of the situation] will set a precedent for others, so that they think twice before committing violence,” said Women’s Rights Center President Susanna Vardanyan.

Note that moments before the start of the demonstration, staff at the prosecutor’s office had come out and invited two representatives to come inside and speak with them: Women’s Resource Center Executive Director Lara Aharonian and Zangakatun NGO Director Karine Grigoryan. After being inside for over half an hour, the two women came out and spoke with members of the press. Aharonian and Grigoryan noted that they had been invited inside simply to relay their concerns.

“We passed on our concerns fully and they said they will follow up,” said Aharonian.

“They received us with great understanding and said they will definitely monitor the issue. We trust them,” added Grigoryan.