PRESS RELEASE
"YERKIR", UNION OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR REPATRIATION AND
SETTLEMENT
12 Sayat-Nova ave., apt. 4, Yerevan, Armenia

Contact: Robert Tatoyan,
Tel. +(374 10) 46 50 21; +(374 94) 36 17 93
E-mail: contact@yerkir.org
Web:

December 19, 2008
Yerevan, Armenia

NEW PERSECUTIONS AGAINST THE RELATIVES AND SUPPORTERS OF JAVAKHK ARMENIAN
POLITICAL ACTIVISTS VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN AND GOURGEN SHIRINYAN

The next court sittings of the trial of the Armenian political activists
Vahagn Chakhalyan (the leader of the "United Javakhk" Democratic Alliance"
political movement), his father – Rouben Chakhalyan and his juvenile
brother – Armen Chakhalyan, as well as the trial of Gourgen Shirinyan, his
father- Harutyun Shirinyan, and his aunt- Karine Shirinyan are to be held on
December 24.

Till then the Georgian authorities continue to impose pressure on the
Chakhalyans’ and Shirinyans’ relatives and supporters, as well as on the
members of the "United Javakhk" Democratic Alliance", some of whom are
involved in Chakhalyan’s trial as witnesses.

– Legal proceedings were brought against Gurgen Shirinyan’s cousin –
Arthur Nahapetyan, who undertook to arrange the payment to the attorney
dealing with Shirinyans’ case. He is accused of swindling and is waiting for
the trial to be held on December 19.

– Vahagn Chakhalyan’s cousin – Varsham Chakhalyan was sentenced to
five years imprisonment with conditions of probation, and was released on
bail of 10,000 lari /about 6,135 USD/.

– The manufacture of the Metal & Plastic Doors and Windows that
belongs to Ruben Chakhalyan still remains closed.

– After about 5 months of imprisonment two new proceedings were
brought against Vahagn Chakhalyan by the police of Akhalkalaki and Borzhomi,
based on some facts that took place in spring of 2006. In order to gather
material on the new charges, the police occasionally calls the members of
the "United Javakhk" Democratic Alliance", the relatives and supporters of
Vahagn Chakhalyan, threatening them and forcing them to give evidence
against Vahagn Chakhalyan.

Undertaking the above-mentioned activities the Georgian authorities pursue
the following objectives:

– To undermine the economic conditions of the Chakhalyans’ and Shirinyans’
relatives in order to weaken their resolve to resist.

– To terrorize the current and future witnesses drawn in by the defense in
order to prohibit them from participation in court proceedings, or, at
least, to prevent them from giving undesirable testimony.

Proceeding from the above-said, "Yerkir" Union calls upon the Human Rights
Defender of Georgia Sozar Subari, the OSCE Mission in Georgia, and other
international structures and human rights organizations to study the facts
presented by our organization, to give a corresponding assessment of the
on-going events, to impose pressure on Georgian authorities and particularly
on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Justice of the Republic of Georgia,
in order to stop the persecutions of the Armenian minority of Javakheti and
to release all the political prisoners.