By Heghine Manukyan

“My sister was killed by her husband and mother-in-law and police did everything to hide the crime,” Hasmik Petrosyan, sister of 20-aged Zaruhi Petrosyan who died on October 1 in Erebuni medical center told NEWS.am.  Hasmik told our correspondent a terrible story of a young woman who was constantly beaten, abused and tortured by her husband and mother-in-law. The reason for their behavior was money.

Hasmik said that her sister got married in March 2008. She had bad relations with her husband and his family members. They used to beat her all the time. Several times she fainted with blood coming out of her nose and mouth. When her relatives asked her what had happened she answered that her mother-in-law had beaten her with a frying pan. According to her, Zaruhi’s husband demanded that she should phone her relatives and ask for money to buy a car.

Zaruhi Petrosyan got 70,000 AMD (about $200) scholarship as an orphan. Her husband bought a car and beat her, demanding more money to repay his debts. “He beat her even when she was pregnant,” Hasmik said. Zaruhi appealed to police for several times and each time her husband claimed he would not beat her any more.

Once Zaruhi decided to leave her husband and found shelter in her sister’s family. Her husband called Zaruhi every day threatening to kill her unless she returns home.

Zaruhi’s relatives stated that before being hospitalized, the woman was beaten as well. Neighbors also gave testimony proving these facts. “Neighbors saw that my sister’s husband and mother-in-law were beating her, breaking her fingers and knees and called the police. When husband and mother-in-law learnt about it, they kicked her downstairs for police officers to think that she had just fallen herself,” Hasmik stressed.

Woman’s relatives consider that the police wanted simply to hide the crime, as Zaruhi was an orphan. Giving testimony, her husband pleaded not guilty, saying that his wife fell down the stairs and died.

On October 1, Zaruhi Petrosyan was taken to Erebuni medical center where she died at 3:00 a.m.

Photos and video by Gagik Shamshyan

Zaruhi (right) with a relative in 2009