The consistent policy of Georgian authorities violating the rights of Javakhk Armenians recently obtained new, grosser and more evident forms: For instance:
- The Georgian National Security Service summoned and interrogated the Javakhk school teachers that were planning to come to Armenia under the retraining program;
- The rights of Javakhk political activist Vahagn Chakhalyan continue to be grossly violated. On April 7, 2009 he was sentenced to ten year imprisonment for the organization of meetings and demonstrations;
- On June 19, 2009, the member of the RA Parliament Shirak Torosyan, known for his public statements on Javakhk Armenians problems, was barred to enter the territory of Georgia without any explanations.
Georgian authorities, concerned with increasing discontent in Armenia, Diaspora and international community with their policy of Javakhk Armenians’ rights disregard, are reinforcing the anti-Armenian persecutions before the visit of Georgian President M. Saakashvili to Armenia, trying to achieve the following main goals:
- Demonstrate once again their uncompromising position on Javakhk Armenians rights;
- Shift the Javakhk problem to the Armenian-Georgian intergovernmental level, by exerting the necessary economic pressure on the Armenian authorities, and force them to make further concessions.
The “Yerkir” Union urges Georgian authorities to realize that the policy of persecutions can even exacerbate the current discontent, deepening the confidence in Armenia and Armenian Diaspora that the struggle for Javakhk Armenians legal rights is an All-Armenian issue. Hence, the Georgian authorities’ attempts to shift the Javakhk issue to the intergovernmental level with a consequent “decision” via economic leverages pressure are doomed to failure.
There is no alternative to putting an end to persecutions, starting a dialogue with political and public structures, representing Javakhk Armenians, and solution to the urgent language, cultural, educational and religious problems facing the Javakhk Armenians.
