Ruben Hayrapetyan, a notorious Armenian businessman and president of the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA), this week was accused of assaulting Arsen Avetisyan, a majority shareholder of Air Armenia, the largest airline in the country.
According to RFE/RL’s Armenian service Azatutyun.am, Avetisyan was reportedly assaulted near Yerevan’s Harsnakar restaurant, where Hayrapetyan’s security guards beat a man to death three years ago.
Speaking to reporters while at Yerevan’s Heratsi hospital, Avetisyan said the attack was led by Hayrapetian during a meeting held at the FFA Football Academy on Aug. 15.
“Hayrapetyan grabbed my hand, and when I tried to free my hand everybody else started hitting me,” he told Azatutyun.am. “I didn’t see who was hitting me as I lay on the ground.”
“They then took me to another place. Ruben Hayrapetyan was there and he continued to talk to me,”Avetisyan said.
While he did not specify the reasons for the attack, Avetisyan said he would provide more details about the incident in the coming days.
According to an open letter to Armenian President Serge Sarkisian from Avetisyan’s wife Izabella Melkumyan, the attackers demanded that Avetisyan sign a statement stating that he owes a substantial amount of money to Hayrapetyan. In the letter, Melkumyan said she had appealed to law-enforcement officials regarding the safety of her family in the past, and urged Sarkisian to ensure their protection by the state, reported Azatutyun.am.
Speaking to the press about the attack, Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan said that President Sarkisian had been informed of the incident and that respective bodies would act consistently so that the issue is “resolved within the law.”
Hayrapetyan, a former member of Armenia’s Parliament, resigned as an MP on July 3, 2012, after three military doctors were beaten at one of his restaurants on June 17, 2012. One of the doctors, Major Vahe Avetyan, died from severe head trauma. A public outcry, and petitions demanding Hayrapetyan’s resignation, led to his resignation.
What a thug.
Thanks for sharing this important info for the diaspora to truly know the mafia situation in Armenia that allows this criminal, his “bodyguards” and so many other free-roaming billionaire criminals to get away with crimes including murder. NO caring Armenian should ever sit back and HELP these criminals to continue to beat, steal from, and even kill the good citizens of Armenia by LEGITIMIZING them and their head-protector, the mafia godfather and election thief, Serzh Sargsyan. We all can start by never referring to him as “president”. He is not. We all can continue to help by supporting and attending protests for change – there is ONE A DAY THIS WEEK in Yerevan (Wed.,Th., Fri.). We all can help by creating our own protests for justice in our own cities! Even the Armenian Weekly can help by more accurately changing this article’s word “Businessman” in the title to “Criminal”, “Thug”, “Thief” or “Murderer” – take your pick! They should also add the important word, “Again” to the title! We all can help by informing every diaspora organization and news site that complicitly legitimizing criminals in Armenia (by welcoming them and sharing photo-ops with them) that we definitely do not approve of that! The only photos they deserve are mug shots before they’re thrown in prison! (Here’s video of this out of control criminal confessing to several crimes in Armenia and laughing about them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnkg82tYZBg )
When criminal corrupt thug, Serzhik Sargsyan, hijacks the office of president, of course he demands to be surrounded by other criminal corrupt government thugs who all allow each other to threaten and steal from the good citizens without punishment. In the process, the economy has sunk and half the good citizens made the gut-wrenching decision to leave their beloved homeland forever. Only massive protest and civil disobedience can stop this horrific trend.
My clock is ticking [ tick…tick…tick…], and I’m just waiting for that moment, when the alleged president’s men, sometimes pretending to be a defense team on American soil, will relentlessly pop-out of the closet, to share with us their lengthy monologues or blogs, to cleanse boss’s reputation and proclaim him a decorated war hero, again for another time. But I don’t think it’s funny at all.
It is positively entertaining to see the few dozen malcontents erupt with rage.
Most entertaining.
{“… When criminal corrupt thug, Serzhik Sargsyan, hijacks the office of president”}
Yes, of course: your BarevaLeader is the true President of RoA.
His call for rallies in Yerevan attract a massive crowd of 50-100, most of them pensioners with time on their hands.
During one of his news conferences, even the media were laughing at him and ridiculing his nonsensical explanations.
Yep: the Man was destined to benevolently rule the benighted masses, until that Sargsian fellow stole the throne.
And that Youtube link is of course from non other than that great friend of Armenian people Mr. Ara Manoogian, and an unbiased commentator for sure.
Sure. And I am Santa Claus.
Yes, the same gentleman who was urging Armenians _not_ to help Artsakh’s children to have clean drinking water.
Got that ? Mr. Manoogian wanted our Armenian children in Artsakh to keep drinking dirty, contaminated water.
The same Mr. Ara Manoogian who allegedly – allegedly – threatened NKR delegation members who were staying at the Glendale Hilton, and who refused to leave the private property, until Glendale’s finest threatened to arrest him.
“Armenia’s problem is Western style greed and capitalism.”
It’s Russian style greed and capitalism actually. The Armenian oligarchs are imitating Russia, not the West.
At least in Europe, US and Canada, capitalism is more prosperous and productive. Granted the soviet union collapsed only 24 years ago, but the way things are done in the West works out better. It’s not without its major issues but in comparison, Western economies are ahead.
Besides what sort of economic system do you think Armenia should follow, or is best for Armenia?
Robert Davidian, Armenia, like your USA and Israel, has many growing pains. This is an internal matter that we Armenians will handle internally without any meddling from your kind.
“Harutik”,
And exactly how does your Russia plan to handle these kinds of problems that are going on in Armenia? Because, after all, these kinds of wealthy mafioso thugs who are getting away with committing so many crimes within Armenia, happen to have very strong ties with Moscow. Even Sargsyan who’s the head chief of his own mafia crew, happens to be fully controlled by Russia’s mafia kingpin (Putin).
“Yerevanian”
If you want to see how your “America” handles such situations take a close look at Mexico, or Columbia, or Philippines, or Egypt, or Greece, or Turkey, or Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia. Armenia is going through natural growing pains, growing pains that in fact mirror the growing pains that Western nations went through not too long ago. Armenia’s problem is Western style greed and capitalism.
Its not an internal matter. Its the VERY problem Armenia has with the current corrupt oligarch system in Armenian.
“Harutik”,
As always, there isn’t the slightest bit of logic in anything that you say. What does America have to do with what’s going on inside Armenia? And exactly how can Armenia’s domestic problems be connected to the West when it happens to be fully controlled by Russia? And because of this, Armenia’s domestic problems are a result of the enormous Russian corruption which not only plagues Armenia, but also threatens its existence.
Harutik,
You’re right about growing pains and such, but the problem is, the way things are going are not encouraging. Growing pains is one thing but not putting much of any effort into reducing corruption is a major issue. If there was a major effort being put into reducing corruption, I would be happy knowing things are heading in the right direction. Growing pains is acceptable when you know the right things are being done to help Armenia.
{…where Hayrapetyan’s security guards beat a man to death three years ago}
{One of the doctors, Major Vahe Avetyan, died from severe head trauma. A public outcry, and petitions demanding Hayrapetyan’s resignation, led to his resignation.}
In March 2014, six men believed to be Hayrapetian’s bodyguards were convicted of killing Avetian and sentenced to 12 years prison. An appeals court later upheld the verdict.
[Families of the defendants met the verdict with angry curses. They said the sentences were too harsh and the counsel for the defense is likely to appeal them at a higher court.
Human rights activists who attended the trial acknowledged that they had expected milder sentences, but stopped short of calling them unjustified.]*
[“The court was guided by the logic of the charges, giving equal sentences to each defendant. Of course, these are quite severe sentences. Perhaps it was a little unexpected in this sense and the angry reaction [of the defendants and family members] was probably connected with the severity of the sentences. They had other expectations,” said Zhanna Aleksanian, a leading human rights activist.
“This behavior of the defendants’ relatives also proves that they do not admit their guilt in an incident in which a man was killed,” she added.]*
12 years is not nearly enough for beating a man to death, but that was the maximum under the law.
—-
* http://massispost.com/2014/03/harsnakar-restaurant-defendants-handed-lengthy-jail-terms-in-vahe-avetian-killing/
Only a violent revolution will change Armenia,those Oligarchs will not leave unless you shoot them, They have become a bunch of animals and so are their children . Armenia needs a renewed Fedayee organization. GET RID OF THE TRASH THAT S DESTROYING ARMENIA.
Had you said what you just said about the US or about corrupt American officials you would be getting raped by police batons in a secret US jail somewhere. Armenians like you are more of a problem for Armenia than the most violent Turk.
There are always non-violent solutions to dealing with corruption.
Instead of issuing threats from the safety of your air-conditioned office somewhere in the West, why don’t you go to Yerevan and start a “violent revolution” yourself tough guy.
You will be warmly greeted by RoA law enforcement.
You will be arrested, will be charged, will get convicted and will share a jail cell with other delusional “violent revolutionaries”, like Shant Harutyunyan.
Don’t wait: please go.
Armenia’s law enforcement needs you.
In the US Mr. Harutik there is such a thing as equal justice and if you want to open a business nobody bothers you. And the Oligarchs and mafia in America are put in jail if they go over board.Plus America has freedom of speech,if I say what I said in the US nothing would happen to me.
{“In the US Mr. Harutik there is such a thing as equal justice”}
How long have you lived in US to make such a bogus claim ?
{“Plus America has freedom of speech,if I say what I said in the US nothing would happen to me.”}
Try to mouth off to a cop and see how far your alleged “freedom speech” will go.
Try to threaten a Federal official with violence, and see how quickly your freedom of speech is shoved where the sun don’t shine.
[The disappeared: Chicago police detain Americans at abuse-laden ‘black site’]*
{The Chicago police department operates an off-the-books interrogation compound, rendering Americans unable to be found by family or attorneys while locked inside what lawyers say is the domestic equivalent of a CIA black site.}
•Keeping arrestees out of official booking databases.
•Beating by police, resulting in head wounds.
•Shackling for prolonged periods.
•Denying attorneys access to the “secure” facility.
•Holding people without legal counsel for between 12 and 24 hours, including people as young as 15.
Yes, Harutik, there is such a thing as “equal justice” in these United States.
btw: after the passage of the Patriot Act, pretty much anything you do can be considered ‘terrorism’: your presumed rights under the Bill of Rights are erased, if you are classified a terrorism suspect.
And judges and DAs are forbidden by law to publicly disclose what the charges are.
It’s all done in secret.
—-
* http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/24/chicago-police-detain-americans-black-site
what USA do you live in???
it sounds like a great place to be,
may be I can be transferred from the USA I live in to the USA you are living in, because where I am, is not much different from Armenia, except it is camouflaged with lots of hot air, and concealed by many layers of cover-ups denial and misrepresentation,
may be as one good American you can sponsor my relocation to your all too good USA…I would be so grateful
thank you,
if you want to know where putin and his dogs mastered their criminal techniques may be you should question their professors at “the global university of corruption, USA”
they have many branches, such as the FEDERAL RESERVE, CENTRAL BANKS, STOCK EXCHANGE, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (NGO’S), THE SUPREME COURT, NSA, FBI, CIA, THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY COMPLEX, FDA, THE MEDIA, AND LETS NOT FORGET THE POLICE (I am sure we are all watching the news and witnessing the exceptional ways in which our police are conducting themselves in dealing with the (we had enough injustice already) protesting public, unlike the barbarian police in Armenia who are harassing and oppressing the protestors there, spraying them pepper, beating and dragging them on the payment, spying on their daily activities, shooting them dead, etc.)
did we all forget how the 99%-ers were treated not too long ago, that was a fine example of human rights, wasn’t it???
avery,
I am so proud of a compatriot such as yourself,
one who thinks with his brain and not with his behind…
one who connects the dots and doesn’t repeat the brain washing massages spewing from the top of the blood stained criminal pyramid
people of the globe, please wake up,
this is not about east/west, this religion or that, this race or the other, this is about the rich who have it all and the poor who are struggling to stay afloat,
if you are not in the 1%… don’t argue and oppress anyone else who is in the 99%…they are dividing to conquer very successfully since the beginning of human life on this planet, please don’t help them
inflame the fire in exchange for a few $$$, and a fake, power position, the price you will have to pay for it, is immense
REMEBER: WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
Thank you for the kind words.