Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF) has authorized the lawyer, expert for the Office of Legal Affairs, Council of Europe Philip Kalfayan to attend as an observer the trial of appeal of Vahagn Chakhalyan the leader of the Unified Javakhk Democratic Union political movement in Tbilisi.
The Armenian translation of the hearing was incomplete, that prevents the accused and his Armenian lawyer to participate fully in the debates. Fairness of debates is openly and flagrantly violated, that is a violation of the Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The fact that the first instance court refused the accused and his lawyers to call and interview new witnesses, is a apparent violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, and a violation of the Georgia’s Constitution.
Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France questioned the motives of the Georgian authorities, which openly and deliberately violate the right of Vahagn Chakhalyan to a fair trial and flagrantly violates their international obligations.
CCAF encourages the Georgian authorities to stop the unfair trial and restore all rights of Vahagn Chakhalyan, to abolish unconstitutional ban on protection of Georgian citizens by foreign lawyers, to respect the legal obligations of Georgia, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN and the European Convention on Human Rights, ” CCAF statement said.
