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TWO JAVAKHK LEADERS ARRESTED IN GEORGIA
A-Info
Friday January 23, 2009
AKHALKALAK (A-Info)--Two leaders of Armenian organizations in
Javakhk were arrested Thursday by Georgian interior ministry forces
on charges of their alleged membership in so-called militant groups,
reported the Council of Armenian Organizations of Samtskhe-Javakheti.
According to reports, at around 1:40 p.m. Council member and director
of the Armenian youth center Grigor (Grisha) Minasyan's vehicle
was stopped near Asbindza, while he was en-route from Akhalkalak
to Akhaltskha, and he was taken into custody by Georgian Interior
Ministry forces. During the arrest police from Tbilisi, who had
traveled all the way to Akhalkalak handcuffed Minasyan and videotaped
the entire process.
At around 2 p.m. the same day, the same interior ministry forces
arrested Sergey Hagopjanyan. Hagopjanyan, who was attending a funeral
at the time of his arrest, is the chairman of the Charles Aznavour
Relief Organization.
The Tbilisi police raided their residences but found nothing. The two
were moved to a prison facility in Tbilisi. The Council of Armenian
Organizations immediately retained counsel and has reported the
incident to Georgia's Human Rights Defense Committee.
Prior to the arrests, at around 1 p.m., the same group of interior
ministry forces raided the Akhalkalak Youth Center, where young
children were at dance practice. The law enforcement agents confiscated
cell phones from instructors and students and placed the center under
lockdown. The children were forced to stay in the center for three
hours, during which the Special Forces confiscated the center's
computer hard drives and several books from the library and took
photos of the library and its contents.
The Armenian community gathered at the Armenian Youth Center in
Akhalkalak for a rally where leaders urged the residents to remain
calm and refrain from instigation provocation.
A-Info
Friday January 23, 2009
AKHALKALAK (A-Info)--Two leaders of Armenian organizations in
Javakhk were arrested Thursday by Georgian interior ministry forces
on charges of their alleged membership in so-called militant groups,
reported the Council of Armenian Organizations of Samtskhe-Javakheti.
According to reports, at around 1:40 p.m. Council member and director
of the Armenian youth center Grigor (Grisha) Minasyan's vehicle
was stopped near Asbindza, while he was en-route from Akhalkalak
to Akhaltskha, and he was taken into custody by Georgian Interior
Ministry forces. During the arrest police from Tbilisi, who had
traveled all the way to Akhalkalak handcuffed Minasyan and videotaped
the entire process.
At around 2 p.m. the same day, the same interior ministry forces
arrested Sergey Hagopjanyan. Hagopjanyan, who was attending a funeral
at the time of his arrest, is the chairman of the Charles Aznavour
Relief Organization.
The Tbilisi police raided their residences but found nothing. The two
were moved to a prison facility in Tbilisi. The Council of Armenian
Organizations immediately retained counsel and has reported the
incident to Georgia's Human Rights Defense Committee.
Prior to the arrests, at around 1 p.m., the same group of interior
ministry forces raided the Akhalkalak Youth Center, where young
children were at dance practice. The law enforcement agents confiscated
cell phones from instructors and students and placed the center under
lockdown. The children were forced to stay in the center for three
hours, during which the Special Forces confiscated the center's
computer hard drives and several books from the library and took
photos of the library and its contents.
The Armenian community gathered at the Armenian Youth Center in
Akhalkalak for a rally where leaders urged the residents to remain
calm and refrain from instigation provocation.