YOUNG ARMENIAN KILLED IN TSALKA, ANOTHER TWO SERIOUSLY INJURED

AKHLAKALAK, MARCH 10, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On the ninth 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) an armed
attack took place on a group of young men of the Armenian
nationality. 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.

According to an eyewitness, the number of those attacking was about
15. After the attack the criminals escaped. The casualties are not
aware of the reason for the attack, committed, from their point of
view, by Adjar or Svan migrants.

According to eyewitnesses, after a while, all entrances to the city of
Tsalka from the Armenian villages were blocked by SWAT
units. According to the A-Info agency, the other roads including the
trunk one leading to the capital were free for travelling.

The same day in the evening the regional police arrested 3 suspects in
connection with the incident. At present they are being
interrogated. At the same time, nearly 300 Armenians, residents of
Tsalka, gathered in front of the police building in token of
protest. They demand a deserved punishment for the murderers. The
Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has increased the number of the
spcial services with a motivation of taking control of the situation.
The regional police building was surrounded by about 150 servicemen in
masks.

Later the crowd in indignation broke the windows of Tsalka police. In
response, the special detachment that urgently arrived in Tsalka from
Tbilisi beat the Armenian demonstrants with sub-machine guns and
rubber clubs. As Hayk Meltonian, Deputy of Georgian parliament elected
by a majoritarian system, affirmed, about 100 demonstrants were
beaten.