JAVAKHETI ARMENIANS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH GEORGIAN CITIZENSHIP
February 2, 2015 12:42
EXCLUSIVE
Photo: Arnold Stepanyan
Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenians living in Javakheti are massively deprived
of Georgian citizenship in case they hold another citizenship -
Russian or Armenian.
"Rezonansi" newspaper reported this today, Mediamax's correspondent
reports from Tbilisi.
Head of "Multinational Georgia" NGO Arnold Stepanyan confirmed that
over the past 5 months, the process involved "2-3 thousand citizens
of Armenian descent".
According to him, it extremely complicates their lives as after they
are deprived of Georgian citizenship they don't have the right to
stay in the country for 90 days in a row.
At the same time, Arnold Stepanyan noted that the local authorities
recently started considering the emerging problems and issuing
temporary stay permissions to those who don't have Georgian
citizenship. He noted that the mass deprivation of Georgian citizenship
of Javakheti Armenians creates "additional risks" in the region.
"We're dealing with nonprofessionalism or sabotage within the
authorities", conceded Arnold Stepanyan.
Meanwhile, Georgian Ministry of Justice told the newspaper that
the information on mass deprivation of citizenship of Armenians was
not true.
However, the leader of Free Georgia Party Kakha Kukava who had
studied the issue confirmed to "Rezonansi" that Javakheti Armenians
were massively deprived of Georgian citizenship. The politician said
that he informed the central authorities about it but they hadn't
responded yet.
"It is a sensitive issue and cautious approaches need to be taken. We
need to carry out explanatory work with the people and tell them they
can choose which citizenship to have to avoid provocations in future",
political scientist Soso Tsintsadze said.
- See more at:
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/region/13044#sthash.8Ro2NLau.dpuf
February 2, 2015 12:42
EXCLUSIVE
Photo: Arnold Stepanyan
Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenians living in Javakheti are massively deprived
of Georgian citizenship in case they hold another citizenship -
Russian or Armenian.
"Rezonansi" newspaper reported this today, Mediamax's correspondent
reports from Tbilisi.
Head of "Multinational Georgia" NGO Arnold Stepanyan confirmed that
over the past 5 months, the process involved "2-3 thousand citizens
of Armenian descent".
According to him, it extremely complicates their lives as after they
are deprived of Georgian citizenship they don't have the right to
stay in the country for 90 days in a row.
At the same time, Arnold Stepanyan noted that the local authorities
recently started considering the emerging problems and issuing
temporary stay permissions to those who don't have Georgian
citizenship. He noted that the mass deprivation of Georgian citizenship
of Javakheti Armenians creates "additional risks" in the region.
"We're dealing with nonprofessionalism or sabotage within the
authorities", conceded Arnold Stepanyan.
Meanwhile, Georgian Ministry of Justice told the newspaper that
the information on mass deprivation of citizenship of Armenians was
not true.
However, the leader of Free Georgia Party Kakha Kukava who had
studied the issue confirmed to "Rezonansi" that Javakheti Armenians
were massively deprived of Georgian citizenship. The politician said
that he informed the central authorities about it but they hadn't
responded yet.
"It is a sensitive issue and cautious approaches need to be taken. We
need to carry out explanatory work with the people and tell them they
can choose which citizenship to have to avoid provocations in future",
political scientist Soso Tsintsadze said.
- See more at:
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/region/13044#sthash.8Ro2NLau.dpuf