THE STATEMENT OF YERKIR UNION

Lragir.am
15:05:27 – 15/01/2009

The events that took place in Akhalkalaki town of Samtskhe-Javakheti
region of Georgia in June 17-21, 2008 under very obscure and strange
circumstances, i.e. the explosion that occurred near the house of
the head of the regional police and the death of two ethnic Armenian
policemen, were used by the Georgian authorities as a pretext to
destroy the "United Javakhk" Democratic Alliance" political movement
and deal shortly with its leader -Vahagn Chakhalyan.

As a result, dozens of members of the organization were taken to
the police headquarters being subject to beating and use of force,
and were interrogated; the youth radio run under the auspices of the
organization was closed; numerous illegal searches and arrests were
made. Finally, early in the morning of July 21 the Georgian Special
Forces broke into Vahagn Chakhalyan’s apartment and arrested Vahagn
Chakhalyan, his father and his juvenile brother.

It should be mentioned that Vahagn Chakhalyan is charged according
to the Georgian Criminal Code with illicit purchase and possession
of fire-arms and ammunition (Article 236, part 1), organizing mass
disorder actions (Article 225), organizing of the group actions which
grossly disrupts public order (Article 226), showing group resistance
to a police officer or any other government representative (Article
353 part 2), and, finally, with hooliganismE2 perpetrated: both a)
by a group’s conspiracy; and b) against a government representative
(clause A and B of paragraph 2 of article 239).

Since Vahagn Chakhalyan was arrested, the Georgian authorities have
been continuously delaying the trial under various pretexts. Thus,
although the case brought against Vahagn Chakhalyan together with the
conclusion rendered by the prosecution was sent to court as early
as August 8, 2008, it was not until September 17 that the case was
proceeded by the Akhaltskha court, whereas the first hearing took
place on November 6 and was immediately postponed to November 19 on
the initiative of the judge.

>From chronological perspective, the last (third) hearing took place on
December 3, during which the prosecutor informed the court about the
new criminal charges brought against Vahagn Chakhalyan based on certain
events that had taken place in March 2006. The judge immediately
postponed the trial of Vahagn Chachalyan for an uncertain term.

Up to now all the applications presented by the defense asking to
provide the materials of the new criminal charges, and to resume
the trial remain unanswered. In fact, six months after the arrest of
Vahagn Chakhalyan, his trial hasn’t even started.

Instead, the Georgian authorities continue to impose political and
economic pressure on the members and supporters of the "United Javakhk"
Democratic Alliance", as well as on the=2 0relatives and friends of
Vahagn Chakhalyan. They open new criminal cases, initiate other trials
which are held summarily, under very vague circumstances and result
in sentences affirming the conclusion rendered by prosecution. The
Georgian authorities also create artificial obstacles for registering
a well-known French lawyer Patrick Arapian as a defender of Vahagn
Chakhalyan.

"Yerkir" Union has repeatedly applied to appropriate international
structures and human rights’ organizations calling them, above all:
a) To recognize Vahagn Chakhalian and all persons on related trials
as political prisoners; b) To investigate immediately the systematic
and continuous violations of human rights in the Javakheti region;
c) To monitor and closely follow the proceedings of the trials; d)
To impose pressure on Georgian authorities, in order to stop the
persecutions of the Javakheti-Armenian political activists and to
release all the political prisoners.

A number of bodies have responded to the appeal of "Yerkir" Union.

In particular, the OSCE Office in Georgia and the Office of the Human
Rights Defender of Georgia has sent observers to monitor the trials
of the Javakheti-Armenian political activists.

However, contrary to other international organizations, the office
of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as
"Amnesty International" did not show any reaction to the appeals of
"Yerkir"20Union, although that was supposed to be the mission and
duty of the mentioned institutions.

Thus, we want to believe that the strange silence demonstrated by the
mentioned international institutions with respect to the trials of
Javakheti-Armenian political activists accounts solely for technical
reasons and there is no other concealed intent behind it.

"Yerkir" Union again appeals to the Council of Europe Commissioner
for Human Rights, Mr. Thomas Hammarberg, and "Amnesty International"
to react to the processes which take place in connection with the
Javakheti-Armenian political activist Vahagn Chakhalyan’s case from
July 2008 up to present.

"Yerkir" Union is alarmed by the fact, that the indifference toward
this crisis shown by international community is actually empowering
the Georgian authorities to strengthen the pressure on the Javakheti
Armenian political activists, as well as the members of their families
and supporters, by this contributing to further escalation of situation
and getting the processes out of control.