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THE GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES ARE AGGRAVATING THEIR POLICY OF VIOLATION OF THE JAVAKHETI ARMENIANS' RIGHTS
Statement of Javakheti political activist Vahagn Chakhalyan
Union YERKIR- Europe
July 15, 2010
Rustavi, Georgia
On July 5, 2010 the Supreme Court of Georgia made a decision to leave
the appeal on the verdict against my father鈤@~P Ruben Chakhalyan,
my younger brother鈤@~P Armen Chakhalyan and me without hearing. Our
sentences were once again upheld.
The Supreme Court's ruling was predictable and consistent with the
decisions of the First Instance Court and the Appeals Court, as it
humbly executed the order of the Georgian authorities, trampling on
the basic norms of a fair trial.
This Supreme Court's decision is completely consonant with the latest
trends of intensification of the policy of violation of political,
civil, linguistic, educational, religious and cultural rights of
Javakheti Armenians, carried out by the Georgian authorities:
路 The active members of the Javakheti Armenian social鈤@~Ppolitical
organizations are under police surveillance, they are subjected to
political and economic pressure, some of them were forced to leave
the country;
路 The traditional policy of the Georgian authorities to change the
ethno鈤@~Pdemographic picture of the Armenian鈤@~Ppopulated districts
(Samtskhe鈤@~PJavakheti鈤@~PTsalka) is getting new manifestations;
the process of resettlement of Ajarians in Javakheti is resumed;
路 Under the pretext of improving the knowledge of the Georgian
language the government takes measures to accelerate the process
of georgianization of the Armenian schools, the Armenian teachers,
undesirable to the authorities, are getting fired;
路 The "black list" of the Armenian politicians and public figures, who
are banned entry to Georgia due to their activity aimed at defending
the Javakheti Armenians' rights, is supplemented with new names.
The Georgian authorities respond to the growing concern of
the international community about this situation, by spreading
misinformation and categorically denying the facts of violation of
the Javakheti Armenians' rights.
Under these circumstances, the feeling of discontent, alienation,
frustration and apathy among the Javakheti Armenians is being gradually
intensified. This attitude has been recently manifested by means of
a boycott by the Javakheti Armenians of the municipal elections of
Georgia held on May 30, 2010. This boycott has impelled the Georgian
authorities to falsify the results of the elections in Javakheti, by
"picturing" 75鈤@~P78% electoral participation and creating a vast
army of "dead soul" voters for the ruling party.
Given the above, I reiterate my commitment to 邪 consistent struggle
for restoration of justice with regards to my family members and me
in all international structures.
I remain confident that all the steps aimed at suppressing through
prisons and repressions the protest of the Javakheti Armenians will
not achieve their goal. I am convinced that our struggle will continue
until the Georgian authorities are forced sooner or later to succumb
to the imperative of solving the existing problems through dialogue.
To create a common ground for dialogue the Georgian authorities must
first stop their policy of suppression, threats and violence against
the Javakheti Armenians, and in particular to:
路 Stop the persecution of the Javakheti socio鈤@~Ppolitical activists;
路 Cancel the unfair sentences passed against my father, my younger
brother and me;
路 Permit the return of all Javakheti Armenian activists, who had to
flee the country, as a result of repressions;
路 Conduct a fair and impartial investigation of the events preceding
my arrest in Akhalkalaki;
路 Abolish the "black list" of the Armenian politicians and public
figures, who are banned entry to Georgia.
The political, civil, linguistic, educational, religious and cultural
problems of the Javakheti Armenians must be resolved in full accordance
with the international standards for the protection of the rights of
the national minorities.
All the programs aimed at changing the ethnic and demographic picture
of the Armenian鈤@~Ppopulated regions must be stopped.
The International organizations must take a clear stance on
inadmissibility of the discriminatory policy of the Georgian
authorities against the Armenian population of Georgia. Double
standards, uncertain and vague steps will only aggravate the existing
problems, will increase instability and create a possibility for
unpredictable developments.
From: A. Papazian
Statement of Javakheti political activist Vahagn Chakhalyan
Union YERKIR- Europe
July 15, 2010
Rustavi, Georgia
On July 5, 2010 the Supreme Court of Georgia made a decision to leave
the appeal on the verdict against my father鈤@~P Ruben Chakhalyan,
my younger brother鈤@~P Armen Chakhalyan and me without hearing. Our
sentences were once again upheld.
The Supreme Court's ruling was predictable and consistent with the
decisions of the First Instance Court and the Appeals Court, as it
humbly executed the order of the Georgian authorities, trampling on
the basic norms of a fair trial.
This Supreme Court's decision is completely consonant with the latest
trends of intensification of the policy of violation of political,
civil, linguistic, educational, religious and cultural rights of
Javakheti Armenians, carried out by the Georgian authorities:
路 The active members of the Javakheti Armenian social鈤@~Ppolitical
organizations are under police surveillance, they are subjected to
political and economic pressure, some of them were forced to leave
the country;
路 The traditional policy of the Georgian authorities to change the
ethno鈤@~Pdemographic picture of the Armenian鈤@~Ppopulated districts
(Samtskhe鈤@~PJavakheti鈤@~PTsalka) is getting new manifestations;
the process of resettlement of Ajarians in Javakheti is resumed;
路 Under the pretext of improving the knowledge of the Georgian
language the government takes measures to accelerate the process
of georgianization of the Armenian schools, the Armenian teachers,
undesirable to the authorities, are getting fired;
路 The "black list" of the Armenian politicians and public figures, who
are banned entry to Georgia due to their activity aimed at defending
the Javakheti Armenians' rights, is supplemented with new names.
The Georgian authorities respond to the growing concern of
the international community about this situation, by spreading
misinformation and categorically denying the facts of violation of
the Javakheti Armenians' rights.
Under these circumstances, the feeling of discontent, alienation,
frustration and apathy among the Javakheti Armenians is being gradually
intensified. This attitude has been recently manifested by means of
a boycott by the Javakheti Armenians of the municipal elections of
Georgia held on May 30, 2010. This boycott has impelled the Georgian
authorities to falsify the results of the elections in Javakheti, by
"picturing" 75鈤@~P78% electoral participation and creating a vast
army of "dead soul" voters for the ruling party.
Given the above, I reiterate my commitment to 邪 consistent struggle
for restoration of justice with regards to my family members and me
in all international structures.
I remain confident that all the steps aimed at suppressing through
prisons and repressions the protest of the Javakheti Armenians will
not achieve their goal. I am convinced that our struggle will continue
until the Georgian authorities are forced sooner or later to succumb
to the imperative of solving the existing problems through dialogue.
To create a common ground for dialogue the Georgian authorities must
first stop their policy of suppression, threats and violence against
the Javakheti Armenians, and in particular to:
路 Stop the persecution of the Javakheti socio鈤@~Ppolitical activists;
路 Cancel the unfair sentences passed against my father, my younger
brother and me;
路 Permit the return of all Javakheti Armenian activists, who had to
flee the country, as a result of repressions;
路 Conduct a fair and impartial investigation of the events preceding
my arrest in Akhalkalaki;
路 Abolish the "black list" of the Armenian politicians and public
figures, who are banned entry to Georgia.
The political, civil, linguistic, educational, religious and cultural
problems of the Javakheti Armenians must be resolved in full accordance
with the international standards for the protection of the rights of
the national minorities.
All the programs aimed at changing the ethnic and demographic picture
of the Armenian鈤@~Ppopulated regions must be stopped.
The International organizations must take a clear stance on
inadmissibility of the discriminatory policy of the Georgian
authorities against the Armenian population of Georgia. Double
standards, uncertain and vague steps will only aggravate the existing
problems, will increase instability and create a possibility for
unpredictable developments.
From: A. Papazian