THE "YERKIR" UNION WILL NOW RAISE VAHAGN CHAKHALYAN’S ISSUE IN EUROPE

Noyan Tapan
02.11.2009

YEREVAN: Today the international community recognized Vahagn Chakhalyan
as a political activist fighting for the rights of Javakhk Armenians,
head of the Yerkir (Country) Union Sevak Artsruni said during a
November 2 press conference. According to him, "it is nonsensical
to keep explaining anything to the current Georgian authorities" and
the "Yerkir" Union will now raise the issue of the Javakhk Armenian
political figure in Europe. Chakhalyan has been sentenced to prison
for ten years by the Georgian court.

Let us mention that on October 30, the Georgian Appeals Court
did not change the verdict of Chakhalyan, his father and younger
brother that was reached by the first instance court. Based on the
verdict, Chakhalyan was sentenced to ten years, while his brother and
father were sentenced to five and two years of conditional arrest
respectively and had to pay a fine of 5,000 lari and 2,000 lari
respectively. Chakhalyan was charged with cases under the articles on
"Organizing and Actively Participating in Massive Activities Violating
Social Order" and "Committing Hooliganism".

"The Georgian court continued to "not notice" the fact that
Chakhalyan’s arrest was politically motivated," as stated in the
November 2 statement issued by the "Yerkir" Union. "It is time for
the international community to send a clear message to the Georgian
authorities that applying force and persecution against and depriving
the rights of the Armenian population will lead to a labyrinth,"
as stated in the union’s statement.
From: Baghdasarian