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Armenian Church in Georgia 'Condemns' Saakashvili's Statement on Chakhalyan
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=25685
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 27 Jan.'13 / 18:57
President Saakashvili's `incorrect' statements on the release of
Vahagn Chakhalyan, an activist from Georgia's pre-dominantly ethnic
Armenian populated region, who was serving a prison term for charges
related to weapons, armed hooliganism and acts against public order,
are contributing to `dissemination of anti-Armenian sentiments,'
Armenian Church in Georgia said in a statement on January 26.
Chakhalyan was released on January 24 as a result of a broad amnesty
passed by the Georgian Parliament late last year after serving four
and half years of his ten-year prison term.
President Saakashvili condemned release of Chakhalyan and described
him as `the enemy of the Georgian state'. He said that Chakhalyan was
released upon the request of head of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Karekin II to Georgian PM Bidzina Ivanishvili; he also said that PM
Ivanishvili `committed a grave misconduct' by allowing Chakhalyan's
release and added that the PM did so in order `to please' Russia.
UNM secretary general Vano Merabishvili, who was the interior minister
when Chakhalyan was arrested, also condemned Chakhalyan's release and
described him as `a symbol of struggle against the Georgian
statehood', `inspirer of separatism in Javakheti', `emissary of
Russian military intelligence' and `major enemy of the Georgian
statehood in Javakheti'.
The Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia released a
statement on January 26 saying that it `condemns' remarks of this kind
by the President and other UNM leaders.
With such statements, it said, the President and former interior
minister acknowledged that `there actually was no justice when UNM was
in power'.
`If Chakhalyan was really a separatist and an agent, why was not he
convicted under relevant articles of the criminal code? There is one
explanation to this paradox: the previous authorities used justice
system against their political opponents,' the statement reads.
`Moreover, President Saakashvili allowed himself to mention the name
of His Holiness, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, saying that
Vahagn Chakhalyan was released upon His Holiness' request. We would
like to highlight that this request was based on humanistic beliefs
and had originated from Chakhalyan's parents' appeal which could not
have remained without the attention of the Spiritual Pastor of All
Armenians,' the statement reads, adding that Chakhalyan was released
because law on amnesty applied to him.
It called on politicians `not to use for their short-term political
objectives issues, which directly concern peace and calmness in our
multiethnic homeland, as well as relationship between our brotherly
people of Georgia and Armenia.'
`We are convinced that despite all political or other circumstances,
our nations will continue strengthening and deepening good-neighborly
and fraternal relations. Ethnically Armenian citizens of Georgia were
and will continue to be devoted sons of Georgia,' the Diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia said.
Chakhalyan, who was with one of the Akhalkalaki-based groups which
staged several protest rallies in 2005 against withdrawal of the
Russian military base from Akhalkalaki and which was calling for an
autonomy for the Javakheti region, was arrested in July, 2008 and
initially charged with illegal keeping of weapons; later more charges
were added involving hooliganism, acts against public order and
resisting officials for incidents dating back for 2005 and 2006
including the one when protesters stormed court chamber and a building
of the Tbilisi State University's local branch in Akhalkalaki. His
supporters condemned Chakhalyan's arrest and consequent conviction as
politically motivated.
President Saakashvili said that Chakhalyan's release was in Russia's
interest, suggesting that Moscow would try to provoke unrests in
Samtskhe-Javakheti region.
`I am sure that they [locals in Javakheti] will not yield to
[provocations] against our statehood by Russian agents even if these
[agents] are acting together with the group which came into Georgian
government temporarily,' Saakashvili said.
`Chakhalyan - I do not want to stress on his ethnic origins because it
does not matter, we have many Armenians who have been defending
Georgia's independence with arms in their hands... - is a representative
of not Armenia, it was not in Armenia's interest to see him freed six
years before [expiration of his prison term], this person is a direct
resident, representative of the Russian special services in Georgia.
He has been working for GRU [Russian military intelligence] for
years,' Saakashvili said.
http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=25685
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 27 Jan.'13 / 18:57
President Saakashvili's `incorrect' statements on the release of
Vahagn Chakhalyan, an activist from Georgia's pre-dominantly ethnic
Armenian populated region, who was serving a prison term for charges
related to weapons, armed hooliganism and acts against public order,
are contributing to `dissemination of anti-Armenian sentiments,'
Armenian Church in Georgia said in a statement on January 26.
Chakhalyan was released on January 24 as a result of a broad amnesty
passed by the Georgian Parliament late last year after serving four
and half years of his ten-year prison term.
President Saakashvili condemned release of Chakhalyan and described
him as `the enemy of the Georgian state'. He said that Chakhalyan was
released upon the request of head of the Armenian Apostolic Church
Karekin II to Georgian PM Bidzina Ivanishvili; he also said that PM
Ivanishvili `committed a grave misconduct' by allowing Chakhalyan's
release and added that the PM did so in order `to please' Russia.
UNM secretary general Vano Merabishvili, who was the interior minister
when Chakhalyan was arrested, also condemned Chakhalyan's release and
described him as `a symbol of struggle against the Georgian
statehood', `inspirer of separatism in Javakheti', `emissary of
Russian military intelligence' and `major enemy of the Georgian
statehood in Javakheti'.
The Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia released a
statement on January 26 saying that it `condemns' remarks of this kind
by the President and other UNM leaders.
With such statements, it said, the President and former interior
minister acknowledged that `there actually was no justice when UNM was
in power'.
`If Chakhalyan was really a separatist and an agent, why was not he
convicted under relevant articles of the criminal code? There is one
explanation to this paradox: the previous authorities used justice
system against their political opponents,' the statement reads.
`Moreover, President Saakashvili allowed himself to mention the name
of His Holiness, Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, saying that
Vahagn Chakhalyan was released upon His Holiness' request. We would
like to highlight that this request was based on humanistic beliefs
and had originated from Chakhalyan's parents' appeal which could not
have remained without the attention of the Spiritual Pastor of All
Armenians,' the statement reads, adding that Chakhalyan was released
because law on amnesty applied to him.
It called on politicians `not to use for their short-term political
objectives issues, which directly concern peace and calmness in our
multiethnic homeland, as well as relationship between our brotherly
people of Georgia and Armenia.'
`We are convinced that despite all political or other circumstances,
our nations will continue strengthening and deepening good-neighborly
and fraternal relations. Ethnically Armenian citizens of Georgia were
and will continue to be devoted sons of Georgia,' the Diocese of the
Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia said.
Chakhalyan, who was with one of the Akhalkalaki-based groups which
staged several protest rallies in 2005 against withdrawal of the
Russian military base from Akhalkalaki and which was calling for an
autonomy for the Javakheti region, was arrested in July, 2008 and
initially charged with illegal keeping of weapons; later more charges
were added involving hooliganism, acts against public order and
resisting officials for incidents dating back for 2005 and 2006
including the one when protesters stormed court chamber and a building
of the Tbilisi State University's local branch in Akhalkalaki. His
supporters condemned Chakhalyan's arrest and consequent conviction as
politically motivated.
President Saakashvili said that Chakhalyan's release was in Russia's
interest, suggesting that Moscow would try to provoke unrests in
Samtskhe-Javakheti region.
`I am sure that they [locals in Javakheti] will not yield to
[provocations] against our statehood by Russian agents even if these
[agents] are acting together with the group which came into Georgian
government temporarily,' Saakashvili said.
`Chakhalyan - I do not want to stress on his ethnic origins because it
does not matter, we have many Armenians who have been defending
Georgia's independence with arms in their hands... - is a representative
of not Armenia, it was not in Armenia's interest to see him freed six
years before [expiration of his prison term], this person is a direct
resident, representative of the Russian special services in Georgia.
He has been working for GRU [Russian military intelligence] for
years,' Saakashvili said.