WHY WAS SHIRAK TOROSYAN PREVENTED FROM CROSSING THE GEORGIAN BORDER?
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
23.06.2009 17:37

On June 19 all members of the Armenian delegation had no problem
crossing the Georgian border except for Shirak Torosyan. The border
guards kept the latter at the checkpoint for an hour even though there
is no visa regime between Armenia and Georgia. Even the diplomatic
passport was of no use.

After some delay the border guards told Shirak Torosyan that the
authorities in Tbilisi had instructed them to prevent the Deputy’s
entry to Georgia.

No other explanation followed.

The MP himself cannot find the reason of the incident. He can only
assume that it is linked to his public activity, particularly his
activeness in raising the problems of Javakhk Armenians.

"Even if the reason was my public activity, how could Georgia,
which considers itself a democratic state, disregard the principle
of freedom of speech?"

This was not the only unpleasant incident on the eve of Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili’s visit to Armenia. According to
Gagik Ginosyan, director of the "Karin" ensemble, recently the
law-enforcement bodies of Georgia prevented the conduct of the
arrangements on the occasion of great Armenian artist Vardges
Surenyants’ jubilee and the opening of the plaque in Akhaltskha.

According to Shirak Torosyan, the last accidents have caused t he
discontent of the social-political organizations functioning in
Javakhk, which have adopted a condemning statement. Besides, the
social-political organizations of Javakhk, the "Javakhk" patriotic
union and a number of other organizations have initiated a public
alliance for protection of rights of Javakhk Armenians. Organizations
from the Diaspora are also going to join the alliance.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress