The Georgian authorities encourage migration of Javakheti Armenians, said Vahagn Chakhalyan, chairman of United Javakhk Democratic Alliance.
“Ethnic Georgians make 70 percent of students of the only state university in Akhalkalaki. Armenians are deprived of possibility to use native language,” he said in a statement obtained by PanARMENIAN.Net.
“The murder of Gevorg Gevorgyan in Tsalka in 2006 aroused a wave of indignation among ethnic Armenians. United Javakhk headed the national movement after which the Georgian leadership once again repeatedly promised to address the problems of Javakheti Armenians,” he said.
“Now, after 6 months in prison, I am tried for organization of protest actions,” Chakhalyan said.
He urged the Georgian authorities to drop all criminal cases initiated against members of United Javakhk, stop programs aimed at artificial change the population statistics, address social problems, register the AAC and return the churches confiscated during the soviet era.
Chakhalyan and his family members were arrested on July 20, 2008. Observers fixed grave violations of human rights during three hearings of his case. On December 3, the prosecution produced new accusations and the trial was postponed.
