"UNITED JAVAKHK" FACTION CHAIRMANSHIP MEMBER ARRESTED

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Oct 16 2006

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 16, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Vahagn Chakhalian,
a member of the "United Javakhk" ("Miasnakan Javakhk") democratic
faction chairmanship was arrested on October 11 by employees of the
RA National Security Service. "United Javakhk" informed about it in
the October 13 statement. Presenting themselves as police employees,
they invited V.Chakhalian to the police department as a victim,
but take him to the Special Security Service isolator.

As it is mentioned in the statement, V.Chakhalian was presented
"accusation for illegally crossing the RA state border." Based on the
accusation mentioned on October 13, the Court of First Instance of
the Kentron and Nork-Marash communities of Yerevan made a decision
to use arrest as a prevention mean towards V.Chakhalian.

"Especially the circumstance causes indignation that instead of
examining and revealing dangerous criminals committed the act of
violence against V.Chakhalian, subjected to hooligan attack and got
serious bodily injuries, the latter’s family as well as faction
member Gurgen Shirinian, the victim is being pursued with false
accusations. The mentioned circumstance obviously proves presence of
direct tie between the act of violence committed against V.Chakhalian
and arrest followed it and some forces’ order," the statement authors
mention.

"United Javakhk" is anxious that future events may bring to dangerious
and unforeseen developments. "Vahagn’s absence and the successive
attempts to liguidate the faction with firm means strike heavy blows
to the present system securing stability in Javakhk, in which "United
Javakhk" has a decisive role owing to the population’s all-embracing
assistance," is said in the statement.

"Famous margin forces and criminal clans strive for keeping monopoly
of presenting himself on behalf of Armenians of Javakhk and with
their not responsible actions they create serious threat for the
regional stablity," faction members mention, expressing hope that
all the interested forces, particularly, the authorities of Armenia
"will foster more clever attitude towards the mentioned forces’
activity which may bring to destroying the regional stablity system
and most seriously damage the Armenian-Georgian interstate relations."