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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CONCERNED WITH CHAKHALYAN'S CASE
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 17 2009
Armenia
2009Armenians as national minority suffer language, social and
religious discrimination in Georgia. European Parliament MP Sylvie
Guillaume expressed concern about the issue in the letter sent
to Benita Ferrero-Wildner, EU Commissioner for External Relations
and European Neighborhood Policy. MP asked her to instruct the EU
representatives in Georgia to trace the case of Armenian political
activist Vahagn Chakhalyan.
"I would like to draw your attention to the ethnic and religious
discrimination of national minorities in Georgia. In particular,
Armenians suffer language, social and religious discrimination. The
region they live in is deprived of transit routes, as well as medical
and social services," the letter reads.
According to her, political leader of Georgian Armenians was sentenced
to 10-year imprisonment on questionable charges in 2008. "The peaceful
demands of his movement are neither independentist nor autonomist
and seek recognition of the civil rights of the Armenian minority in
Georgia, when that country conducts a policy of assimilation since
the dismantling of the Russian military bases in 2005."
She also informed EU Commissioner of the impending appeal on
Chakhalyan's case on September 18, pointing out the major infractions
in the course of previous hearings: "Justice of Georgia has even
denied him the right to have a French lawyer."
"We cannot leave the Georgian authorities act in contravention of the
international conventions on the right to a fair trial, all the more so
as Georgia, under EU funding and by the European Neighborhood Policy,
has received 15 Million Euro paid for justice reforms," Guillaume said,
calling to demand Georgian authorities' account for the reforms in
judicial system and take corresponding measure to make Tbilisi meet
its commitments.
Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am
Sept 17 2009
Armenia
2009Armenians as national minority suffer language, social and
religious discrimination in Georgia. European Parliament MP Sylvie
Guillaume expressed concern about the issue in the letter sent
to Benita Ferrero-Wildner, EU Commissioner for External Relations
and European Neighborhood Policy. MP asked her to instruct the EU
representatives in Georgia to trace the case of Armenian political
activist Vahagn Chakhalyan.
"I would like to draw your attention to the ethnic and religious
discrimination of national minorities in Georgia. In particular,
Armenians suffer language, social and religious discrimination. The
region they live in is deprived of transit routes, as well as medical
and social services," the letter reads.
According to her, political leader of Georgian Armenians was sentenced
to 10-year imprisonment on questionable charges in 2008. "The peaceful
demands of his movement are neither independentist nor autonomist
and seek recognition of the civil rights of the Armenian minority in
Georgia, when that country conducts a policy of assimilation since
the dismantling of the Russian military bases in 2005."
She also informed EU Commissioner of the impending appeal on
Chakhalyan's case on September 18, pointing out the major infractions
in the course of previous hearings: "Justice of Georgia has even
denied him the right to have a French lawyer."
"We cannot leave the Georgian authorities act in contravention of the
international conventions on the right to a fair trial, all the more so
as Georgia, under EU funding and by the European Neighborhood Policy,
has received 15 Million Euro paid for justice reforms," Guillaume said,
calling to demand Georgian authorities' account for the reforms in
judicial system and take corresponding measure to make Tbilisi meet
its commitments.