ARMENIAN STUDENTS FROM GEORGIA DEMAND THAT THEIR RELATIVES’ SECURITY
BE PROVIDED AND THOSE GUILTY OF TSALKA INCIDENT BE PUNISHED

YEREVAN, JULY 4, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On July 1, several
dozens of students from Yerevan higher schools, Armenians from
Georgia, held an action of protest in front of the building of
Georgian Embassy in Yerevan. The students demanded that the security
of their relatives living in Georgia be provided. The incident that
happened on June 25 in the Tsalka Georgian region populated with
Armenians became an occasion for the action of protest. During this
incident the special detachments opened a fire at 2 young Armenians,
one of which, 25-year-old Vladimir Nazaretian, was seriously
injured. Two action participants met with Revaz Gachechiladze,
Georgian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Armenia, and
presented their demands. Armen Avetisian, Deputy Chairman of the
Javakhk youth organization, mentioned that the ambassador expressed
hope that such cases won’t be repeated and those guilty will be
punished. The ambassador reported that he will meet with the students
again on July 6. The chairman of the Javakhk compatriot union of
Armenia will be also invited to the meeting. The students expect that
the demands they conveyed to the ambassador will be taken to the
notice of the Georgian authorities and at the next meeting they will
be informed about the steps being taken. The ambassador presented a
version, according to which the Armenians, at which the special
detachments opened a fire, were going from Tsalka to the region
populated with Greeks for the purpose of provoking international
conflicts. But the Armenian students assured that it is impossible as
Armenians and Greeks living in Georgia are good neighbors. The
students insisted that this isn’t an ordinary incident as the
ambassador tried to represent but a political one. “The shot at
Vladimir Nazaretian was aimed at all Armenians of Tsalka and pursues
the goal of cleansing the region from Armenians,” Artyusha Grigorian,
Chairman of the Javakhk youth union, mentioned. Vladimir Nazaretian
who got three fire injuries is in one of Tbilisi hospitals at present
and his condition remains serious. According to Grigorian, Nazaretian
was injured in his legs and breast. He mentioned that one of the
bullets passed some centimeters far from his lung and he remained
alive by a miracle. According to Eduard Poladov, representative of RA
Ombudsperson, the students who were anxious about the fate of their
relatives asked the Ombudsperson to apply to his Georgian colleague in
connection with the incident. Poladov mentioned that as, according to
their information, no one was called to account, two representatives
of Ombudsperson’s office, he and Ruben Martirosian, wanted to receive
explanations from the ambassador but they weren’t allowed to enter the
Embassy.