In Tsalka, as a result of an attack, the person is killed
March 10, 2006
On the ninths of March, at about 6 one o’clock in the evening in the
city of Tsalka (the center of Tsalka area of Kvemo-Kartli region of
Georgia) took place an armed attack on a group of young men of the
Armenian nationality. The attack occurred in the city centre when the
lads were leaving the restaurant after their supper. The citizens
sitting in the car were unexpectedly attacked, were dragged out of the
car and beaten up. According to, both the eyewitnesses, and one of the
victims, the number of the attacking people was about 15 people, and
many of them were armed with cold steel. 23-year-old Gevorg Gevorkyan
was killed, as a result of knife wounds he died shortly after the
incident, V. Saakyan (25) was wounded in the leg, and K.Baloyan (25)
with a serous wound, 7 hours later was delivered to (Aramyants) Tbilisi
city hospital #1. After the attack the criminals escaped. Gevorg’s young
wife has become a widow now.
Baloyan wounded in his left lung had to reach the capital by car along
bumpy roads within 4 hours. Despite of deep wounds, numerous bruises and
greater loss of blood, the condition of the wounded man is stable.
The casualties are not aware of the reason for the attack, committed,
from their point of view, by Adjar or Svan migrants. All victims are
fellows-villagers, dwellers of village Kushchi of Tsalka area.
According to eyewitnesses, after a while, all entrances to the city of
Tsalka from the Armenian villages were blocked by SWAT units. The other
roads including the trunk one leading to the capital were free for
traveling.
In Tsalka area periodically there are periodically conflicts between
Armenian and Greek communities from one side and the Georgians, who
moved to the area from high-mountainous areas Adjara and Svaneti several
years ago, – from the other side. The latter ones settled down in region
after ecological disasters as a result of which their houses and farm
lots had been destroyed. More than 2000 Georgian families were inhabited
into the houses abandoned by the Greeks who had emigrated or temporarily
left for Greece in order to earn their living in the late eighties –
early nineties. Illegal intrusion into other people’s property and
shooting up of the criminal situation in the region due to the
echoemigrants causes natural discontent by the root local population.
A couple of years ago in Tsalka, as a result of similar collisions
already there were already victims, a Georgian and a Greek were killed.
And the largest clash which has captured Tsalka and neighboring
villages, occurred on the 9th of May 2005, between Georgians and
Armenians during which more than 30 people were wounded. As the result
of last year’s incidents, which outnumber several dozens, internal
military units temporarily entered the region. And their efficiency,
against the background of the events repeating today is prejudiced by
the local population.
¿ Armenia.ge
Armenian Cooperation Centre of Georgia