UNITED JAVAKH ACCUSES GEORGIAN AND ARMENIAN AUTHORITIES OF COLLUSION, REQUESTING TO RELEASE ITS LEADER

Regnum, Russia
Oct 16 2006

On October 15, one of Samtskhe-Javakheti (Armenian-populated Georgian
region) NGOs United Javakh (UJ) carried out protest rally near Armenian
border check-point at Armenian-Georgian border in connection with
attack on one of the NGO’s leaders Vahagn Chakhalyan, his family and
his companion Gurgen Shirinyan on October 9 near Yerevan.

As it is known, after the event happened, Vaag Chakhalyan was
arrested by Armenian authorities, being accused of illegal state
border’s crossing. According to the action’s activists, it is aimed
at neither aggravating situation in region nor applying any powerful
scenarios. The United Javakh believes it has received no less than
70% of votes at elections to sacrebulo (local governing body –
REGNUM) it is aiming at changing election committee’s decision. The
UJ leaders believe there is collusion between Georgian and Armenian
authorities, which try not to allow continuing the UJ activity, turning
to criminals, as well as to approve falsified election "outcomes."

In such way, according to the organization’s members, they are
struggling in Samtskhe-Javakheti not because of any ambitions;
it is connected with normal request to guarantee legal foundations
for local elections’ conducting. According to on of the protesters,
"if Georgians in Tbilisi have right on revolutions, why do Armenians
in Akhalkalaki have no such rights?"

About 500 residents of Akhalkalaki area participated in the
manifestation. The action’s participants stressed; having detained
Chakhalyan in Armenian territory, republican authorities considerably
damaged their authority among Georgian Armenians. Of course, such
feelings will spread in Armenia, too. "At presence, very serious and
unclear situation has arisen for ethnic Armenians in Georgia and first
of all in Samtskhe-Javakheti. In such situation, when international
public opinion has completely deviated from assessing political and
social processes, developing in Georgia, necessity to make serious
decisions appeared for Armenian population in Samtskhe-Javakheti. The
Armenian population of Samtskhe-Javakheti needs local self-governing
more than any Georgian region. Whoever were elected or appointed
to sacrebulo, they will need to settle problems. Nobody will escape
it. It refers both to patriots and those, who sincerely believe that
the only way out of the arisen situation is to follow lead of ‘Young
Georgians.’ All of them are no enemies for their nation; all of them
may make many useful things.

Open ‘collaborators’ are rare in the region."