Fight Against 'Thieves in Law' and 'Obshchaks': A Myth. Who is the Criminal Authority Close to the Authorities?

As is known, on February 18, 2020, the President of Armenia signed a package of laws amending and supplementing the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia and making additions to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan clarified that the law is about 'thieves in law', 'skhodkas', 'obshchaks', and similar phenomena so that individuals involved in these activities can be held accountable.

According to the Prime Minister, individuals who embody this subculture consider prison their home, and therefore, all of them should be sent to live at their home. While the authorities declare war on individuals of the highest rank in the criminal hierarchy, former Minister of Justice Rustam Badasyan asserted that they have developed a strategy to fight these high-ranking individuals in a patient, step-by-step manner—but the reality is quite different.

Armlur.am highlights that judging by the situation, the authorities' struggle against criminal authorities is either a myth or they have their favorite authorities, as the current government expresses gratitude to a criminal authority. Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport Karen Giloyan presented a letter of appreciation to the criminal authority known as 'Artyom Kanevskoy', or Artyom Harutyunov, who, along with his friends, renovated one of the schools.

The outlet notes that it appears that the authorities turn a blind eye to the actions of those criminal authorities from whom they benefit. However, this raises the question of why, for instance, Ejmiadzinin Mayor Diana Gasparyan rejected the project of the Christian complex-park by criminal authority Arthur Asatryan, known as Don Pippo, showing that the authorities also have their favorite criminal figures.