Chakhalyan case: Tbilissi court hasn't listened lawyer Patrick Arapian today

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tbilisi Board of administrative affairs of the city court held the first hearing of the case of refusal by Georgian justice ministry to register the French lawyer and member of the Paris Bar Patrick Arapian as a defender of Vahagn Chakhalyan, Javakhk political activist and leader of "Democratic union Common Javakhk" on May 7. Program coordinator of the Yerkir union Robert Tatoyan told to a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.



"The judge checked the presence of the sides and immediately after it announced about postponing the hearing on May 29 without mentioning any reason," told Robert Tatoyan. "This testifies to arbitrary decisions of judges, who have chosen the strategy of dragging out the process. However, Patrick Arapian repeatedly stated that irrespectively of court decision he will defend the rights of Vahagn Chakhalyan," stressed the representative of the Yerkir Union.



Georgiam ministry of justice rejected register Patrick Arapian as a defender of the Chakhalyans on Feb. 16, 2009. Georgia's Ombudsman Sazar Subari in the letter addressed to Georgian justice minister Z. Adeashvili, suggested to restore violated rights of the Chakhalyans and allow the French lawyer to participate in the legal proceeding, but Georgian authorities ignored his recommendations.



During rallies organized in Paris between April 14 and 28 to protect Vahagn Chakhalyan's rights, the Georgian ambassador in France Mamuka Kudava promised, that Georgian authorities will give positive decision in respect to registration of Patrick Arapian.