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EXPERT WARNS AGAINST HASTY CONCLUSIONS AS GEORGIAN-ARMENIAN ACTIVIST ALLEGES 'POLITICAL CONTEXT' BEHIND BROTHER'S ARREST
http://www.armenianow.com/news/47366/armenia_georgia_vahagn_armen_chakhalyan_alvrtsyan
NEWS | 02.07.13 | 11:00
Photolure
Haykazun Alvrtsyan By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
Haykazun Alvrtsyan, an expert on Javakhk issues, does not yet see any
political context behind last week's arrest of a Georgian-Armenian
activist's brother. According to him, one should follow the behavior
of the Georgian authorities before giving evaluations.
"When something happens in Javakhk, certain political and public
circles try to give it a political context. It is good that they are
vigilant, but sometimes without clarifying the problem they jump to
conclusions," Alvrtsyan said during a press conference in Yerevan
on Monday.
On June 28, the brother of Vahagn Chakhalyan, Armen, was detained
along with three other persons in the Armenian-populated Javakhk
province of Georgia. According to Georgian media, the reason for the
detentions was a scuffle among a few young people. Georgia Online
writes that Armen Chakhalyan is accused of organizing unrest. On July
1, a Georgian court decided to put him into custody for two months,
while the other three detained persons were released.
United Javakhk movement leader Vahangn Chakhalyan, who spent nearly
four years in prison following what he insists was his politically
motivated conviction, said he saw a political context behind his
brother's arrest. Chakhalyan was released under the act of amnesty
earlier this year. He was imprisoned in July 2008 and the Georgian
court subsequently gave him a 10-year sentence for "organization
of large-scale events, public disturbance, hooliganism and illegal
possession of weapons."
Chakhalyan insists that his brother had nothing to do with the scuffle
in the village of Gondura as he went there in the middle of the fight
and his aim was to put an end to it and reconcile the parties.
"All are equal before the law, but the circumstances of the arrest
of my brother give me a reason to suppose that the incident is an
act of provocation with clear political motives and its authors are
Saakashvili-Merabishvili loyalists who still wield some influence in
local power structures," he said in a statement.
Chakhalyan believes that the mentioned circles try to artificially fuel
tensions in the relations between Georgia's Armenian population and
the central authorities "in order to restore their positions shattered
after the change of power in conditions of bilateral distrust."
"I consider that what has happened is largely a consequence of the
fact that the present government has not yet shown the necessary
political will and determination in the matter of condemning the
criminal policies of the previous regime against the Armenian
population of Javakhk, restoring justice and establishing rule of
law and democratic values in the Armenian-populated regions," said
Chakhalyan. "I want to believe that the forces that have planned
and carried out my brother's arrest will prove erroneous in their
calculations and their provocation will fail."
Expert Alvrtsyan, meanwhile, refrained from commenting on Vahagn
Chakhalyan's statement.
"I'd prefer not to comment on his approaches," he said. "I am sure
that if his brother weren't there, he would not have been arrested.
But it, of course, does not mean that if they had an intention to
arrest him, they wouldn't have been able to find an excuse."
Speaking about the overall development of the Javakhk region and
the attitude of the Georgian authorities towards ethnic Armenians,
Alvrtsyan said that he does not see any changes there in the time to
come as Georgia regards Turkey and Azerbaijan as serious strategic,
military and political allies.
Interestingly, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Monday received
Georgia's visiting Interior Minister Irakli Garibashvili. A terse
report disseminated by the presidential press office said the sides
exchanged views around issues concerning regional security. It is
unclear whether the Chakhalyan case was addressed during the meeting.
http://www.armenianow.com/news/47366/armenia_georgia_vahagn_armen_chakhalyan_alvrtsyan
NEWS | 02.07.13 | 11:00
Photolure
Haykazun Alvrtsyan By SIRANUYSH GEVORGYAN ArmeniaNow reporter
Haykazun Alvrtsyan, an expert on Javakhk issues, does not yet see any
political context behind last week's arrest of a Georgian-Armenian
activist's brother. According to him, one should follow the behavior
of the Georgian authorities before giving evaluations.
"When something happens in Javakhk, certain political and public
circles try to give it a political context. It is good that they are
vigilant, but sometimes without clarifying the problem they jump to
conclusions," Alvrtsyan said during a press conference in Yerevan
on Monday.
On June 28, the brother of Vahagn Chakhalyan, Armen, was detained
along with three other persons in the Armenian-populated Javakhk
province of Georgia. According to Georgian media, the reason for the
detentions was a scuffle among a few young people. Georgia Online
writes that Armen Chakhalyan is accused of organizing unrest. On July
1, a Georgian court decided to put him into custody for two months,
while the other three detained persons were released.
United Javakhk movement leader Vahangn Chakhalyan, who spent nearly
four years in prison following what he insists was his politically
motivated conviction, said he saw a political context behind his
brother's arrest. Chakhalyan was released under the act of amnesty
earlier this year. He was imprisoned in July 2008 and the Georgian
court subsequently gave him a 10-year sentence for "organization
of large-scale events, public disturbance, hooliganism and illegal
possession of weapons."
Chakhalyan insists that his brother had nothing to do with the scuffle
in the village of Gondura as he went there in the middle of the fight
and his aim was to put an end to it and reconcile the parties.
"All are equal before the law, but the circumstances of the arrest
of my brother give me a reason to suppose that the incident is an
act of provocation with clear political motives and its authors are
Saakashvili-Merabishvili loyalists who still wield some influence in
local power structures," he said in a statement.
Chakhalyan believes that the mentioned circles try to artificially fuel
tensions in the relations between Georgia's Armenian population and
the central authorities "in order to restore their positions shattered
after the change of power in conditions of bilateral distrust."
"I consider that what has happened is largely a consequence of the
fact that the present government has not yet shown the necessary
political will and determination in the matter of condemning the
criminal policies of the previous regime against the Armenian
population of Javakhk, restoring justice and establishing rule of
law and democratic values in the Armenian-populated regions," said
Chakhalyan. "I want to believe that the forces that have planned
and carried out my brother's arrest will prove erroneous in their
calculations and their provocation will fail."
Expert Alvrtsyan, meanwhile, refrained from commenting on Vahagn
Chakhalyan's statement.
"I'd prefer not to comment on his approaches," he said. "I am sure
that if his brother weren't there, he would not have been arrested.
But it, of course, does not mean that if they had an intention to
arrest him, they wouldn't have been able to find an excuse."
Speaking about the overall development of the Javakhk region and
the attitude of the Georgian authorities towards ethnic Armenians,
Alvrtsyan said that he does not see any changes there in the time to
come as Georgia regards Turkey and Azerbaijan as serious strategic,
military and political allies.
Interestingly, Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Monday received
Georgia's visiting Interior Minister Irakli Garibashvili. A terse
report disseminated by the presidential press office said the sides
exchanged views around issues concerning regional security. It is
unclear whether the Chakhalyan case was addressed during the meeting.