Woman Accused of Abusing Daughter-in-Law Extradited from Russia, Arrested in Armenia

Haykanush Mikaelyan, 48, accused of torturing her 20-year-old daughter-in-law Mariam Gevorgyan, arrived in Armenia on a Moscow-Yerevan flight at 8:30 pm last night and was subsequently arrested, said head of the Public Relations Department at Yerevan’s Kentron Police Department Armen Malkhasyan, speaking to Epress.am.

Mikaelyan has been wanted since Jan. 21, 2011, under charges of RA Criminal Code Article 112 Section 2 (“infliction of willful [life-threatening] bodily damage to two or more persons”).

Recall, Mariam Gevorgyan is asserting that she was subjected to physical and emotional violence by Haykanush Mikaelyan, as well as by Gevorgyan’s husband, David Ziroyan. As reported previously, Mariam and David married in 2009, then left for St. Petersburg, where the husband’s family live. For 10 months, Mariam was subject to repeated abuse by David and members of his family. After returning to Yerevan, Mariam contacted police, who subsequently charged David with “inflicting willful medium-gravity damage to health” and “battery”. The general amnesty granted by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence earlier this year, however, also applied to David and he was released. Prior to marrying Mariam, David was married for 3 years to Monica, who also asserts he abused her, leading to the loss of vision in one of her eyes.

The case, however, was made public only a year later, when last week local daily Hetq Online covered Mariam’s story. Subsequently, the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Women in Armenia organized a demonstration outside the RA General Prosecutor’s office Monday, demanding officials to re-open the case and conduct a fair investigation.

Later on Monday, Mariam Gevorgyan and Coalition representatives were invited to come speak with RA Deputy Prosecutor General Armen Danielyan and head of the RA Prosecutor General Office’s Department for Crimes against the Individual Vahram Shahinyan, who assured them that the case has been re-opened and the Armenian General Prosecutor’s Office is overseeing the matter.