Armenian authorities jail mother, baby over suspected student visa fraud

Photo:  Zaruhi Postanjyan 

By Alexander Pracht

An Armenian woman was arrested and sent to pre-trial detention near Yerevan last Friday with her 8-month-old daughter over charges of assisting an illegal migration scheme — a case that has sparked widespread attention and criticism in the country.

Liana Harutyunyan, who is accused of aiding an illegal entry of Indian citizens into the U.S. and the EU, was initially taken into custody with her infant daughter. Both were later transferred to a hospital in Abovyan near Yerevan after the child reportedly fell ill, her lawyer Zaruhi Postanjyan told the RFE/RL Armenian Service on Monday.

"The child’s condition is now stable. She has received appropriate medical care," Postanjyan told reporters. She blamed the prison food for upsetting the baby’s digestion and claimed there were no adequate conditions in the Abovyan jail to care for such a young child.

The facility’s authorities denied the allegations, even publishing photos of the cell, insisting that proper food and conditions were provided. But Postanjyan maintained the environment was unsuitable: "There is no air conditioning, not even curtains. It’s unbearably hot, and there is no room for a baby."

Harutyunyan, a mother of three, is accused of assisting a group of Indian nationals in securing admission to the Anania Shirakatsi University in Yerevan in exchange for bribes, RFE/RL reported, allegedly as part of a scheme to possibly facilitate their visa applications to the United States or European countries under the guise of student exchange programs. However, the charges do not specify exactly how Harutyunyan contributed to the alleged scheme. She is facing up to four years in prison or a hefty fine and pleads not guilty.

Postanjyan argued that unlike other suspects in the case, whose charges are more serious, only Harutyunyan has been placed in custody.

She also explained that Harutyunyan’s detention stemmed from her earlier failure to appear at a court hearing. This triggered the court to initially opt for house arrest, but when her landlord refused to register her in the apartment, it was converted to jail detention. Harutyunyan’s lawyer appealed this ruling.

Amid growing public outcry, lawmakers from both the opposition Armenia Alliance and the ruling Civil Contract party have pledged to act as guarantors to secure Harutyunyan’s release from jail pending trial. However, their promises have yet to result in any formal action.

Human rights advocates argue that a woman with three children, including an infant, should not be held in pre-trial detention under any circumstances. Harutyunyan’s legal team also filed an urgent request with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to apply interim measures. While she has not yet exhausted all avenues in Armenia’s judicial system, the ECHR allows such applications at any stage of domestic proceedings if there is a risk of irreversible harm.