GEORGIA: RUSTAVI-2 TV-CHANNEL WAS IN ADVANCE INVITED TO OBSERVE ASSAULT OF AKHALKALAKI DISTRICT POLICE CHIEF

Regnum, Russia
Oct 11 2006

Opposition Industry Will Save Georgia Party’s wish to protect rights of
Georgian Armenians and to bring up a question of the national language
legalization will exacerbate tension between ethnic Armenians and
Georgians, Javakh Countrymen Union Chairman Shirak Torosyan stated
during a news conference in Yerevan.

He is quoted by a REGNUM correspondent as stating that the opposition
Industry Will Save Georgia Party is unaware of Javakheti residents’
interests; it fulfills somebody’s order, aiming at destabilizing the
situation in Armenian-populated Georgian Samtskhe-Javakheti region.

"The party’s actions are unacceptable and even criminal concerning
Armenians, who live in Javakh," Mr. Torosyan believes.

Also, he stated that opposition’s action, covered by one of Georgian
central TV-Channels, proves "criminal intentions of opposition,
supported by Democratic Alliance ‘United Javakh’ NGO. According to
Mr. Torosyan, incident, connected with assault and buttery of police
chief of Akhalkalaki area Samvel Petrosyan was masterminded. "The
incident itself was recorded by representatives of Rustavi-2
TV-Channel. How could TV cameras be placed in advance at needed time
and in needed place? They knew, what would happen; they were informed
about that," Shirak Torosyan believes.