The lies and cynicism of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia show the injustice toward Vahagn Chakhalyan
Statement of Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France

The Coordination Council of Armenian Organizations of France strongly denounces the outrageous lies of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Grigol Vashadze before the members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of France on November 25.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Grigol Vashadze lies to the French parliamentarians about the case of the Javakheti Armenian political activist Vahagn Chakhalyan

On November 25, 2009 during his visit to France, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Grigol Vashadze, had a meeting with the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the French Parliament, and responded to the questions of the parliamentarians.

The French parliamentarian, Chairman of the “Armenia-France Friendship” parliamentary group François Rochebloine asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs to clarify the situation in Javakheti, the region of Georgia predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians. Drawing special attention of the Minister to the trial of Vahagn Chakhalyan, who was arrested in July of 2008, the French parliamentarian noted, in particular, that the Javakheti political activist was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on dubious, if not trumped-up charges, and the Court of Appeals after 15 minutes of consultation left the sentence of the Court of First Instance intact.

THE EUROPEAN UNION SHUTS EYES TO THE DISCRIMINATORY POLICY OF THE GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES TOWARDS THE ETHNIC MINORITIES

Open letter to Peter Semneby, EU Special Representative to the South Caucasus countries, from the “Yerkir” Union of NGOs for Repatriation and Settlement

“Yerkir” Union condemns the decision of the Court of Appeals of Georgia to uphold the sentence of Javakheti political activist Chakhalyan

On October 30, 2009 the Court of Appeals of Georgia upheld the ruling of the Court of First Instance in respect to Vahagn Chakhalyan, his father and younger brother, according to which the Javakheti political activist had been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, his father and brother - to five and two years’ suspended imprisonment respectively, with consequent substitution of the sentence by a fine of 5000 ($ 3000) and 2000 ($ 1200) Georgian laris.

The last two hearings of the case at the Court of Appeals were held without the participation of Vahagn Chakhalyan, who boycotted proceedings in protest against judicial violations at the Court of Appeals.