Georgian Court Sentences Vahagn Chakhalyan To 10 Years

GEORGIAN COURT SENTENCES VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN TO 10 YEARS

court important diaspora
2009/04/07 | 23:28

Sentences were handed down yesterday in the trial of Vahagn Chakhalyan,
head of the "United Javakhk" alliance. Also sentenced were his father
and younger brother.

The court found Vahagn Chakhalyan guilty on all counts (illegal
weapons possession, organizing public disturbances, resisting arrest)
and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

His father, Ruben Chakhalyan, was found guilty of illegal arms
possession and participating in mass public disturbances and was
fined 5,000 lari ($3,000). Armen Chakhalyan, Vahagn’s brother, was
found guilty of arms possession and fined 2,000 lari ($1,200).

The Chakhalyan defense team intends to appeal all three sentences
in a higher court and even take the case to the European Court of
Human Rights.

In the meantime, the "Yerkir Union" has called on organizations in
Armenia and the Diaspora to raise their voices in protest over this
politically motivated show trail and has urged international legal
bodies to call on the Georgian authorities to respect accept norms
of jurisprudence and to halt its anti-Armenian policies in Javakh.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS