66-Year-Old Woman Forced to Beg for 14 Years in Armenia; Exploiter Held Around $73,000

A 66-year-old woman has reported to law enforcement that she was subjected to trafficking for many years. She stated that she was beaten, forced to beg, and that her accumulated funds were embezzled. This information was released by the press service of the Investigative Committee of Armenia.

It has been revealed that the woman met a 43-year-old man while renting an apartment in Yerevan in 2009. The man placed her in a state of financial dependence and exploited her by forcing her to beg for years due to her "isolated and helpless situation."

According to investigative data, the woman requested the man to perform construction work. In return, he demanded $3,000. Unable to pay the demanded sum, she was coerced into collecting money through begging in various administrative districts of Yerevan. Reports indicate that the man demanded the total amount collected in a day, approximately 35,000 to 40,000 AMD ($90 to $100), and subjected her to violence if she disagreed or if the amount was insufficient.

"According to preliminary data, the man, aiming to seize the woman’s pension funds, registered her at his home in Byureghavan, Kotayk Province, and arranged for her to receive an age pension in her name, which he embezzled," the report stated.

The woman recounted that she had attempted to escape several times; however, each time, the man discovered her whereabouts and forced her back to his house. Additionally, she was beaten for attempting to flee and was coerced again into begging.

The last time she escaped was on January 31, 2023. She reportedly spent several days on the streets before moving to a shelter for the homeless. The 43-year-old man has been arrested.

During a search of the man’s residence, the victim’s pension bank card, approximately $70,200 in cash, and 1,299,750 AMD in coins collected from begging were seized in separate bags. Preliminary data suggests that the seized coins were proceeds from her days of begging. The victim's passport and social card were also found at the scene.

The man has been charged under Article 188 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (human trafficking or exploitation). He is currently in custody. The preliminary investigation is ongoing.