Armenia’s Prosecutor General Supports Trafficking, Pornography: HAK Statement

One of the US cables recently released by whistle-blowing site WikiLeaks addressed the increasing problem of human trafficking and pornography in Armenia, which the opposition bloc the Armenian National Congress (HAK) refers to in its statement.

“Several years ago, Armenia was included in the international ‘black list’ of trafficking. The document represents the horrific details of this phenomenon, noting, in particular, that we are also dealing with pedophilia. The main reason for the worsening of this criminal phenomenon the ambassador considers to be the heavy social situation, extreme poverty, when even parents are forced to send their children to become prostitutes. The document is developed on the basis of studies by the US Embassy [in Armenia] and the US ambassador’s discussions with the RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan.

“This scandalous discovery by WikiLeaks proves that Armenia, on an official level, represented by the Prosecutor General’s office, is engaged in backing human trafficking and pornography.

“Coming across this shameful truth, if the National Assembly and [Armenian President] Serzh Sargsyan do not immediately dismiss RA Prosecutor General Aghvan Hovsepyan and don’t criminally prosecute him, then they assume full responsibility for the criminal actions of the prosecutor general, showing that, in fact, trafficking and pornography in Armenia is under the patronage of high-ranking ruling authorities,” reads the HAK statement.