A murder with no murderer

Continuing on the subject of crime and violence, ArmeniaNow.com has an article this week about the Joshua Haglund case. You may remember the violent murder of Haglund, an American who was teaching English in Yerevan. The fact that Haglund was gay and openly so, has prompted speculation that it was a hate crime.

ArmeniaNow asked investigators whether Haglund's death was being considered a hate crime. Police would give no details of the investigation nor say whether a suspect has been identified nor how many people have been questioned.

Members of Armenia's gay community have privately complained that police used Haglund's murder investigation as an excuse to intimidate those known or thought to be gay.

At least one man was held in confinement for several days. Another says he was called to a police station and when he asked what crime he was being charged with, an investigator said: "Don't you think being a faggot is a crime?" He also alleges that police told him they did not care whether the law protected homosexuality, and that, in their precinct, they were the law.

Read the full article. ArmeniaNow.com have also published this open letter from Haglund's mother, Maxine Haglund-Blommer.

Posted by Matt on July 18, 2004 | TrackBack | Email to a friend