ETHNIC ARMENIAN ACTIVISTS CONVICTED IN GEORGIA
Kavkas-Press
April 8 2009
Georgia
Tbilisi, 8 April: On 6-7 April 2009, Georgia’s Akhaltsikhe District
court held final hearings on the case of Vahagn Chakhalyan, a political
activist in [Georgia’s predominantly ethnic Armenian populated]
Javakheti [region] and the leader of the Democratic Alliance One
Javakhk [Armenian name for Javakheti] political movement, his father
Ruben Chakhalyan and younger brother Armen Chakhalyan.
On 6 April the prosecutor had demanded 14 years’ imprisonment and
a 18,000-lari (10,650-dollar) fine for Vahagn Chakhalyan, a three
years’ suspended sentence and a 6,000-lari (3,550-dollar) for Ruben
Chakhalyan, and a three years of suspended sentence and a 3,000-lari
(1,750-dollar) fine for Armen Chakhalyan. That was followed by
defenders’ speeches.
Vahagn Chakhalyan made his defence speech on 7 April, following which
the judge retired to her room and produced the sentence.
In his speech, Chakhalyan described the court’s actions as shameful.
"The legal proceedings against me are nearing their end. I can describe
them only as shameful. They are shameful because of the numerous
odd unlawful acts, forged and fabricated ‘evidence’, and witnesses,
all of whom were representatives of law enforcing structures," the
defendant said.
The court found Vahagn Chakhalyan guilty on all accounts, including
accusations under Article 236.1 (purchase and possession of weapons and
ammunition), Article 225.2 (participation in mass unrest), Article 226
(organization of events on a massive scale violating public order),
Article 353.2 (premeditated group resistance to the police or other
representatives of the authorities … by a group of people), Article
239.2.b (hooliganism … b) with respect to public agents or any
other person suppressing hooliganism) of the Georgian Criminal Code,
and sentenced the Javakheti activist to 10 years in prison without
the right to pay any fine for a part of the term.
Ruben Chakhalyan was found guilty under Article 236.1 (purchase and
possession of weapons and ammunition) and Article 225.2 (participation
in mass unrest) and fined 5,000 lari (3,000 dollars). Armen Chakhalyan
was found guilty under Article 236.1 (purchase and possession of
weapons and ammunition) and fined 2,000 lari (1,200 dollars).
The Chakhalyans intend to lodge a complaint against the sentence at
a higher court and, later, at the European Court of Human Rights.