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ARMENIAN ACTIVIST VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN NOT AMONG 519 PARDONED BY GEORGIA'S PRESIDENT
tert.am
23.11.12
Neither Vahagn Chakhalyan nor the former head of the Armenian community
of Ajaria are among the 519 pardoned by Georgia's President Mikheil
Saakashvili.
The Georgian president declared amnesty on the occasion of St. George
Holiday marked November 23 in Georgia.
This circumstance has unpleasantly surprised the head of Multi-national
Georgia NGO Arnold Stepanyan, dealing with issues of ethnic minorities
there. Speaking to Tert.am, he said he cannot say whether there are
or there are not Armenians among them, but those under the NGO's
focus are not among them.
Ethnic Armenian activist Vahagn Chakhalyan, leader of Javakhq
democratic alliance, is in prison for already five years, serving his
10-year term. He has been charged with "organization of mass events
violating public order" and for "keeping weapon".
The term of 50 convicts has been cut by half, the other 469 have been
set free.
As to the ex-leader of the Armenian community of Ajaria, Stepanyan
said he is charged with spying which is quite "fashionable" crime
in Georgia. "If I am not mistaken three other Armenians have been
arrested with him," Stepanyan said, adding that the Armenian population
of Javakhq considers the charges against Chakhalyan fake.
"Many people have been sent to prisons in Georgia for spying and as
far as it was rather popular among the former authorities we see a
political motivation. Though I can't say it in Armen's [ex-leader of
the Armenian community of Ajaria] case, I do not know it. But I do
not exclude anything," Arnold Stepanyan said.
tert.am
23.11.12
Neither Vahagn Chakhalyan nor the former head of the Armenian community
of Ajaria are among the 519 pardoned by Georgia's President Mikheil
Saakashvili.
The Georgian president declared amnesty on the occasion of St. George
Holiday marked November 23 in Georgia.
This circumstance has unpleasantly surprised the head of Multi-national
Georgia NGO Arnold Stepanyan, dealing with issues of ethnic minorities
there. Speaking to Tert.am, he said he cannot say whether there are
or there are not Armenians among them, but those under the NGO's
focus are not among them.
Ethnic Armenian activist Vahagn Chakhalyan, leader of Javakhq
democratic alliance, is in prison for already five years, serving his
10-year term. He has been charged with "organization of mass events
violating public order" and for "keeping weapon".
The term of 50 convicts has been cut by half, the other 469 have been
set free.
As to the ex-leader of the Armenian community of Ajaria, Stepanyan
said he is charged with spying which is quite "fashionable" crime
in Georgia. "If I am not mistaken three other Armenians have been
arrested with him," Stepanyan said, adding that the Armenian population
of Javakhq considers the charges against Chakhalyan fake.
"Many people have been sent to prisons in Georgia for spying and as
far as it was rather popular among the former authorities we see a
political motivation. Though I can't say it in Armen's [ex-leader of
the Armenian community of Ajaria] case, I do not know it. But I do
not exclude anything," Arnold Stepanyan said.