Armenian crime boss Artur Asatryan, nicknamed “Don Pipo” founded the liberation movement. Its full name is “The Liberation Movement of the Armenian Crusaders.” In his video message, Asatryan noted that “millions of Armenians were waiting for this fair decision.” It is also reported that Artur Asatryan is currently on the wanted list and sentenced to arrest in absentia. He created an organized criminal group in the country and led it.

Faktyoxla Lab. has tried to find out who Artur Asatryan was and who he was going to release.

So, the Armenian criminal authority nicknamed "Don Pipo" is the founder of the "Danvesta" company, which owns hundreds of shopping pavilions in Moscow. In addition, the commercial structure is engaged in construction, manages the Bogorodsky and Panorama shopping centers, owns the Cityman taxi service, the Sergiev Posad flour mill, is a distributor of Nortex drinks, the Shelkovka farm, and also produces ready-made meals and desserts. In 1987 Artur Asatryan became the European champion. In 1991, he left sport and started doing business.

In 2013, the Italian authorities put Don Pipo on the international wanted list in connection with the murder of crime boss Ded Khasan (Aslan Usoyan). Neither the manhunt nor the crisis prevented Asatryan from expanding the network of Danvesta kiosks to several hundred, thanks in part to the program of cooperation between the mayor’s offices of Moscow and Yerevan. The street trading reform launched by Sobyanin in 2011 didn’t affect Danvesta’s business in any way. Some of the places taken by the company’s kiosks in the center of Moscow were at some point put up for auction, but shortly before the competition, these lots were removed from the auction, and the previous contracts with the company were extended.

His son Yeghia Asatryan took up agricultural projects. In 2016, Yeghia became the owner of 10% in Agroferma LLC, Agro-Invest LLC and Agrogrib LLC. At that time, Yeghia Asatryan also directly owned Mars LLC (manages and builds real estate in the Kaluga region), Avantazh LLC near Moscow (among the activities - food trade, tourism and construction) and Moscow EAS-Group LLC (manufacturing products).

It is also known that Artur Asatryan's brother was killed in Etchmiadzin last year. It is noted that Asatryan's brother died from gunshot wounds, and the murder took place near the bridge of the Zvartnots quarter. Before that, one of the guards of Don Pipo, 29-year-old Razmik Sogoyan, was killed in Etchmiadzin. At that time, a version related to Sashik Sargsyan, the brother of ex-president Serzh Sargsyan, spread on social networks. According to this version, it is he who orders killings of Pipo's men out of revenge. They say that the crime boss took a large amount from Sasik, promising to make a fake Spanish ID for his son. The plan failed because Narek Sargsyan, who was on the international wanted list and accused of attempted murder, was detained in the Czech Republic and extradited to Armenia. But Asatryan refused to return the money. Unable to endure such an insult, the Sargsyan family went on the offensive against the inner circle of the crime boss. And although he himself was under arrest, the circle of people loyal to him gradually turned into a sieve.

By the way, “Don Pipo” is suspected of kidnapping three people by prior agreement with the use of violence dangerous to health, as well as illegal acquisition and possession of weapons. He was detained, but after a while he was released on bail. Asatryan does not admit his guilt. One of Pipo's business partners is Avagumyan Kamo Kimovich, co-owner and chairman of the board of directors of the Avilon Group of Companies.

Kamo Avagumyan is known for his ties. He has been the official representative of the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia in Russia since 2008 and has since become close friends with the then Russian Prosecutor General Yuri Chaika. This public work did not imply any powers, but it allowed him to personally communicate with representatives of the prosecutor's offices of both countries. The presence of such a person in the system of the state apparatus of the Russian Federation suited many. Since he acted as an "intermediary" in many sensitive and, frankly, criminal issues.

So, for example, Avagumyan is associated with the Cypriot offshore Amiensa Holdings. He, in turn, owns 21.25% of the Greek hotel Pomegranate Wellness Spa. Yury Chaika's son Artem Chaika and the former wife of Deputy Prosecutor General Olga Lopatina own similar shares in it.

However, in 2020, the new Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation, Igor Krasnov, decisively began a purge in his department. It is enough just to look at the names of persons dismissed from leadership positions to understand who was taking high posts in the Russian Prosecutor General's Office for all these years. One of the key figures of the Prosecutor General's Office was Georgy Avagumyan, head of the department for supervision over the implementation of laws on environmental protection and nature management. The head of the Department for Supervision of Investigation, Inquiry and Investigative Activities Yuri Karapetyan, as well as the Deputy Head of the Department of International Legal Cooperation Mnatsakan Sargsyan left their posts. Kamo Avagumyan also left.

But back to the main character - Artur Asatryan.

The name of Artur Asatryan sounded in society after the "velvet revolution" of 2018, when he tried to remove General Manvel Grigoryan from the "feudal" throne of Etchmiadzin. The thing is that Asatryan, who then returned from Italy, was actively buying up real estate and trade objects in his native Etchmiadzin.

But the peak of Don Pipo's mention was associated with rallies against the mayor of Etchmiadzin. The "sacred" city, like the whole region, was considered the patrimony of General Manvel Grigoryan, and his son held the post of mayor. Asatryan had a bone to pick up with Grigoryan, because he left Etchmiadzin precisely because of a conflict with the general.

So, some time after the "velvet revolution" protests broke out in Etchmiadzin against the current mayor and Manvel Grigoryan himself. Moreover, the symbols of the revolution and photos of Pashinyan were used. The press immediately found out that Don Pipo was behind the organization of the protests. Although he denied his participation in the organization of the rallies, took part in them and demanded "justice" as an "ordinary participant." The situation could have gone according to the scenario of an armed clash, but the central authorities decided to intervene. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called it unacceptable to use the symbols of the revolution for mafia wars.

Well, after that, Asatryan, like Manvel Grigoryan, was detained by the National Security Service.

Asatryan is called the crowned thief in law Don Pipo. He gained particular fame in 2013, when the Italian authorities put Don Pipo on the international wanted list in connection with the murder of thief in law Ded Khasan (Aslan Usoyan). In 2008, the Italian authorities already detained Asatryan, along with four citizens of Armenia, in the case of the murder of a supporter of the influential thief in law Armen Harutyunyan (Puffy Armen Kanevskoy). From a certain moment, Asatryan tried to "clear" his name and, at least, publicly distance himself from crime. To do this, he took up charitable work. So, in 2017, information appeared that Don Pipo acquired unique documents from the secret archive of the Vatican for the Museum-Institute of the so-called Armenian Genocide.

Another interesting fact is that in 2017 Asatryan organized a visit to Armenia by the famous actress Ornella Muti. During the festive concert, his son performed on stage, and former Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, as well as Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, sat in the hall.

A documentary was even made about Don Pipo as part of the “Armenians by Origin” program, where the head of the “Tsarukyan” bloc Gagik Tsarukyan, jazzman Levon Malkhasyan, head of the Russian and New Nakhichevan diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Yezras Nersisyan (brother of the Catholicos), producer Artur Dzhanibekyan, actors Franco Nero and Ornella Muti and others were saying flattering things about Don Pipo.

In a word, time will show how the events initiated by Artur Asatryan will develop...