Interview: On a Mission to Expose Police Corruption in Armenia
Armenia — By Liana Aghajanian on April 21, 2010 10:15 pm
By now thousands have watched the impromptu video shot by a Diasporan Armenian when Armenian Police stopped him and the dramatic encounter that followed.
After being falsely pulled over for speeding a few months ago and being harassed and kicked in the legs by a police officer, Dro, who is going by his first name for the purposes of this report, has been carrying a video camera with him when driving in order to protect himself from police officers who think they can bribe him, he said. His intention of filming was also to show local Armenians that they can stand up to police and demand their rights.
While corruption in Armenia is a significant problem, with Transparency International’s 2009 Global Corruption Report ranking the landlocked region 109 out of 180 countries on its list, road traffic and driver license corruption falls under that cloud.
A 2007 Global Integrity Report written by journalist Seda Muradyan explored this issue. “Experts blame the country’s penchant for corruption, rooted in Soviet times, which expanded into independent Armenia,” the report said. “The non-transparent work of the police also plays a role.”
“Corruption in the road traffic field is conditioned by lack of transparency … there are numerous reasons … the laws include discriminatory provisions, violations of human rights; this also provides the basis for corruption risks,” Hovhanisian said. “The laws contain ambiguous or unclear definitions, which enable the inspectors to interpret the laws at their discretion, which results in the conflict of interests and corruption risks.”
A 2005 report by Anna Saghabalian on armtown.com revealed that bribing Armenia’s traffic police is a regular, ordinary custom.
“A typical kickback for avoiding legal punishment for an alleged or proven violation of traffic rules is 1000 drams (just over $2). Officers patrolling streets or highways are allegedly obliged transfer a large part of that money to their superiors. Another source of illegal payments is “technical inspections” which each of an estimated 250,000 cars registered in Armenia must undergo once a year.”
Recently, President Serge Sargsyan demanded a tougher crackdown on government on corruption, as corruption-related prosecutions saw a 40 percent surge in Armenia, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Born in Iran and raised in America, Dro moved to Armenia one year ago because he feels that it is his country.
“I see no point of living in a foreign country now that we have an independent country and specially if one is able to find a job here, have a successful business or live on previous investments or retirement money,” he said in an email interview. He took some time out to answer a few questions below.
Q. What prompted you to video tape the two policemen who stopped you?
A. Armenia’s traffic police department has a horrific history of stopping cars for false or no reason in order to obtain a quick bribe. Armenia’s drivers who mostly either don’t know their rights nor the driving rules because they have illegally bought their licenses rather than passing tests, are quick to give bribes. Although the situation with falsely pulling over drivers has much improved in the last couple of years, old habits do still existent in today’s police force.
Q. Why did they stop you, and why do you think they stopped you?
A. I think they profiled me for having a new pickup truck and a new a license plate number, assuming I’ll have money to spare them instead of demanding my rights and honesty.
Q. What is the police force like in Armenia? What is your general opinion of them?
A. I have to admit that in the past year or two, the level of traffic police work has been much improved in Armenia and it’s clearly noticeable in the lawful and organized driving in Yerevan. I wouldn’t dare drive in Yerevan a few years ago and you’d rarely see women drivers back then, because driving was lawless and chaotic. Today the situation is much different and in fact for the first time ever in Armenia, cars are now forced to stop for pedestrians crossing the intersection. However, there is still a lot of work left in order to get most of the police force to work correctly and ethically. There is also a big problem with some of the current traffic laws in Armenia which are intended for the police to apply the law in order to make money, instead of the law having an importance for safety or orderly driving. For example the most ridiculous law recently passed in Armenia which forbids drivers from smoking in cars, while of course smoking is allowed in restaurants, offices, some hospitals and no laws exist against underage smoking. In essence this new law is there for the police to make more money by either writing a ticket or taking a bribe, rather than for any health or safety reasons.
Q. Were you ever afraid while you were doing it? There was one point where you got out of the car, which as I’m sure you know in the U.S. you can’t really do if a policeman/policewoman stops you – how come you did that and how did you feel?
A. I usually get out of the car in order to watch the video of the incident in the police car. I’m not afraid of being taken into custody or them using physical force. The only thing I fear and am careful of is that they don’t go crazy and draw a gun.
Q. Was this your first run-in with the police in Armenia?
A. I’ve been coming to Armenia since 2000 and on my first experience being in a car in Armenia as a passenger coming out of the airport, I remember being pulled over for no reason. The airport used to be a favorite place for the police to pull over drivers with passengers, because those who flew indicated that they had money. Even back then as a passenger I would always warn my drivers ahead of time that I will not allow them to give a bribe and would usually do the arguing with the police until we were let go. Writing a ticket was almost unheard of a few years ago, you either paid a bribe or argued your way out.
Q. Why do you think it’s important for others (including the Diaspora) to see this?
A. It’s especially important for Diasporans who will be visiting Armenia to put aside the notion that “when in Rome do as the Romans do”. Diaspora Armenians that visit Armenia have a unique opportunity to help improve this country by demanding the same type of treatment and legal rights they have in Western countries, from Armenia. The best way we can improve this country is to help bring its standards up to the levels we’re used to in America or Europe.
Watch the video, “Armenia, Yerevan’s Corrupt Police Terror Continues.”
Tags: Armenia, armenian police, corruption, traffic, yerevan
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16 Comments
Great story! Thanks for the interview, which added more background to the video.
I didn’t understand a word of what that policeman said. I think in Armenia, the Armenians speak a different language that could possibly not be Armenian. I’m not sure what it is though. To be honest, in Armenia they can bumble anything they want because they have the monopoly on the Armenian language. So I can’t dispute it really.
This should have waited until next week…
The driver was stopped because he made a dangerous illegal pass that was what the cops told him and he did not use his signal lights, and the driver is admitting that the other driver was not allowing him to make a pass and blocking him and that is why he made his dangerous pass. In this case the driver is guilty and the cops were doing their job in a proper correct manner but the driver was being mean and uncooperative or half cooperative or just acting for the sake of the camera to show it afterward by posting to teach Armenians how to stand for the cops. Here the cops did NOT ask for bribe but told him how much the violation ticket will cost him which the driver most certainly will pay as he was the guilty one.
It appears that “translator” is speaking on behalf of Armenia’s police with a fabricated story. The driver clearly explains in the video that he made a safe right turn after he was given the right of way and having put on his signal. I drive in Armenia when there for business trips and have experienced this type of false stops which makes work difficult and inefficient.
1. the policeman stopped the car in a wrong location blocking the traffic.
2.the cop should have given a salute and his name as soon as he approached the car.
3. He should have said why he stopped the car in his 2nd sentence and only then ask for papers.
4. there is no law forbidding video recording in such situations.
5. the policeman said he will arrest the driver for arguing. The driver is agitated, the police should have calmed him down by following the law. Not by making threats.
6. the polciement threatened to break the camera , this is against personal property.
7. the polcieman started pushing the driver.
8. Honking is not breaking the law, unless it is done to intimidate other
drivers. In this case it was not.
9. The policement started mocking the driver. Maybe not a breach of law but breach of police ethics.
10. If being an illiterate is a breach of law then count that one as well.
As for the driver: he had to be calm and wait for police instruction. He started talking to police the first. If he behaved like that in the USA the police would have asked him to shut up and not talk unless talked to. Next would have been asking to step out of the car.
There are many rogue police everywhere but when you approach them with some respect they calm down and are easy to handle.
Here is the comment by the one who posted that video in You-Tube;
Nabastak: March 24, 2010 — After making a right turn onto Khanjian street, these cops without having a view to see what took place during the right turn, pull the driver over and fine him by claiming that he did not yield to a transport car before making a right turn. In reality the transport car had slowed down near a drop off point and stopped for a previous car making a right turn and remained in a stopped position while its driver hand waved to this subject car to also make a right turn. Armenia’s police are notoriously known to run the traffic department like a personal business and most often look to receive a bribe. Specially new cars in town with newly assigned regular license plate numbers that are not matching oligarch numbers, are perfect targets to pray on for these corrupt police. After refusing to sign the ticket in this video, the police took the subject car’s driver’s license without giving him a temporary license to drive on, and they drove off.
——-
Here is another video post by the same guy, this time the same drive was so nasty with the cops that after all the verbal exchanges, they gave him back his paper and driving license, actually they throw it back to him without giving him a ticket:
http://www.youtube.com/user/nabasdak#p/f
The above link did not work, I will try to embbed
Nabastak: March 03, 2010 — On March 2, 2010 coming out of an underground parking lot of a building and making a left turn in the alley right across the parking lot, this subject car noticed a police car driving behind him. This police car followed this subject car for about 45 seconds and pulled him over claiming that he had crossed a red light. This incident happened 13 days after Feb. 18th, when this subject car had been pulled over by another road police who claimed that he was going 80 km/hour on a 60/km hour zone, when he was actually going exactly 62km/hour on “Admiral Isakov ave” where he drives to work routinely watching carefully his speedometer. The February 18th incident resulted in this person getting kneed twice and kicked once by the police for complaining and catching his lie, before he was let go. Fortunately, this March 2 incident was captured on video.
Embedding did not work, let me see if this link will work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkOqBYgzZ1M
Yes, the link is working that is the right one I refereed to, actually it is number 1, while the other one posted by Liana is number 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkOqBYgzZ1M
This driver is unbelievable, he is so pestering the traffic cops and he is so comical that his second motives are apparent, namely to make a movie to show other Armenians how to stand up for Armenian traffic cops when stopped by them. By now he should be well-known by all traffic cops, and his photo and name pinned at the offices of traffic cops, so everybody would be having a big laugh. It is sad that his driving license was confiscated and he has to go thru the lengthy process of getting it back by going personally to the traffic cops or traffic court and paying his ticket fine. I have been told that the usual bribe for traffic cops is only 1000 trams (less than 3 dollars), not a big deal at all, do NOT CONSIDER IT A BRIBE, JUST A SMALL DONATION TO OTHER FELLOW ARMENIANS, helping them put food on the table for their children and wives. Mr Dro, do not be so pocket-tied, your business will prosper if you make donations and give some of your wealth to more needy. No police cop, traffic or otherwise, in Armenia will hit you or strike you if you approach them with some love in your heart; what I see from the 2 movies you made is that you are behaving like an assh*l*, sorry that is what we call people like you in America. Next time a cop asks you for your papers, give it to him with 1000 tram bill (less than 3$) tucked inside it.
In the other hands, traffic cops are eager to write violation tickets to bring more funds to the city. This happens in America also, where some traffic cops
entrap drivers by staying out of view in an corner at place where drives are most likely to commit a violation, by not making a full stop at a stop sign for example; so this happens everywhere in the world; what I want from you is to lighten up man and take it easy and find yourself other more noble worthy causes to crusade for.
^Response to above poster^
The very fact that you think it’s OK to give a police office a bribe of any amount speaks volumes as to the poor levels of democracy in Armenia. A bribe is a bribe, no matter what amount. You have been indoctrinated to think that’s a way of life and that it’s OK to a policeman a small bribe of $3. This is the problem, that you in any way have a thought in your head that that’s OK. As for your other comment about a small donation to help fellow Armenians, if that’s the case there are charities that will gladly take donations, not corrupt police officers in a country where its own citizens think it’s OK to hand out bribes
Then let me tell you a very short story:
Once upon a time Mr Yervant, when driving 62 km for hour on Admiral Isakov Ave, he was stopped by traffic officers because the speed limit was 60 km on that avenue. In a dispute between the traffic officers and driver Mr Yervant, the later was kicked by the one of the officers. The whole thing delayed the driver some 10 of fifteen minutes. When the driver continued his way, just a kilometer away he saw a big traffic bloody accident on the road that happened a mere 15 minutes ago, surely if he was not stopped by the cops he would have been killed himself in that accident, he gave praise to God and kept on driving. Reaching his destination 30 minutes after he had been stopped by the cops, and while entering the office building, he saw a man dead at the entrance, a block of stone had fallen on him from the roof just before 30 minutes that he was stopped by the cops, he thought to himself, surely if I had not been stopped by the cops then that block of stone would have fallen on my head and by now I would have been dead..gone naked..because naked one comes to the world and naked he goes..he can not carry his wealth with him. Mr. Yervant stopped and thought for a moment: how stupid I was. He gets on his car again, drives at 70km back and finds the same traffic officers that stopped him; and to the astonishment of the cops Yervant jumps on them and starts hugging and kissing them, and takes all the cash from his pockets and give it to the cops saying thank you thank you; then he jumps in his car again, driving 80km to his job. The cops shake their heads saying: There goes a lunatic!
This is of course a repeat of the old story of the Chinese Farmer, but nevertheless true! If you turn left instead of right, your whole life is going to be different!
“Translator” I know who this Dro is personally and he did the right thing, be it $3 or $1000 it’s still a bribe.. unless we Armenians don’t stand up to corruption in Armenia, it will not be a prosperous and viable country.
To “Translator”, Do you honestly think that your short story is a valid argument for giving bribes?
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