The Coordinating Council of Armenian Organizations of France (CCAF) has condemned Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze, accusing him of disseminating false information on Vahagn Chakhalyan, the political activist in Javakh, a Georgian region densely populated by Armenians.

Responding to a question concerning the Vahan Chakhalyan case and his trial put by the deputy Francoise Rochblant, the Georgian FM lied about the reasons for the political activist’s conviction and the fairness of his trial," says the Council’s statement. “By claiming that this Georgian citizen of Armenian descent (Chakhalyan, NEWS.am) was charged with collaborating with a third country, Grigol Vashadze, unaware of it, proved the fact that Vahagn Chakhalyan is a victim of a police plot and unfair trial,” says the statement.

NEWS.am reminds readers that on April 7, 2009, Chakhalyan was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment for “illegal possession of weapons”, “violating public order, participating in mass events” and “hooliganism.”

According to the authors, Minister Vashadze deliberately misinterpreted a number of articles of Georgian laws.

The CCAF demanded that the Georgian authorities immediately release Vahagn Chakhalyan and fully rehabilitate him. The CCAF also demanded that the President of the French National Assembly send a note of protest to the Georgian Foreign Minister for showing his disrespect for the French National Assembly.

T.P.