Tbilisi want to hide its national minorities problem from Europe
Armenia has two positions on the case of Javakhk activist Vahagn Chakhalyan: the position of the Armenian people who demand Chakhalyan's immediate release and the position of official Yerevan which can't lay terms to Tbilisi due to a number of reasons, French lawyer Patrick Arapian told PanARMENIAN.Net.
"It's not hard to understand the position of Armenian authorities. Georgia is an important transit country for Armenia," he said.
Touching on the problem of his registration, Mr. Arapian said, "Being of Armenian descent, I am also a citizen of France. Georgian leaders badly need European states' support and do their best to conceal the problem of national minorities. But now, defending Chakhalyan's rights, the Armenian Diaspora knows how Armenians of Samtskhe Javakheti live."
On May 29, Tbilisi administrative court held the second hearing to consider Georgian Justice Ministry's refusal to register Patrick Arapian as Chakhalyan's defender. After the respondent, i.e. Georgian Justice Ministry, submitted documents on the court case, the judge postponed the hearing to June 15, alleging necessity to review the documents.
On February 16, 2009 Georgian Justice Ministry refused to register lawyer Arapian as Chakhalyan's defender, without giving any justification for such decision. In a letter addressed to Justice Minister Adeishvili, Georgian Ombudsman Sozar Subari proposed that Chakhalyan's right be reinstated by allowing the French lawyer to act as his defender, but the Georgian authorities ignored the recommendation.
During the protest held in Paris on April 14 and 28, Georgia's Ambassador in France Mamuka Kudava promised that Georgian authorities would approve the request for Patrick Arapian's registration.
On April 6, the court sentenced Vahagn Chakhalyan to 10 years' in prison, and imposed a fine in the amount of 18.000 laris ($10.650). Chakhalyans intend to appeal to higher instance courts and even the European Court of Human Rights.
"It's not hard to understand the position of Armenian authorities. Georgia is an important transit country for Armenia," he said.
Touching on the problem of his registration, Mr. Arapian said, "Being of Armenian descent, I am also a citizen of France. Georgian leaders badly need European states' support and do their best to conceal the problem of national minorities. But now, defending Chakhalyan's rights, the Armenian Diaspora knows how Armenians of Samtskhe Javakheti live."
On May 29, Tbilisi administrative court held the second hearing to consider Georgian Justice Ministry's refusal to register Patrick Arapian as Chakhalyan's defender. After the respondent, i.e. Georgian Justice Ministry, submitted documents on the court case, the judge postponed the hearing to June 15, alleging necessity to review the documents.
On February 16, 2009 Georgian Justice Ministry refused to register lawyer Arapian as Chakhalyan's defender, without giving any justification for such decision. In a letter addressed to Justice Minister Adeishvili, Georgian Ombudsman Sozar Subari proposed that Chakhalyan's right be reinstated by allowing the French lawyer to act as his defender, but the Georgian authorities ignored the recommendation.
During the protest held in Paris on April 14 and 28, Georgia's Ambassador in France Mamuka Kudava promised that Georgian authorities would approve the request for Patrick Arapian's registration.
On April 6, the court sentenced Vahagn Chakhalyan to 10 years' in prison, and imposed a fine in the amount of 18.000 laris ($10.650). Chakhalyans intend to appeal to higher instance courts and even the European Court of Human Rights.
