Armenian organizations of Javakhk launch signature campaign to support ethnic Armenians

The Coordinating Council for the Protection of Javakhk-Armenians has started a signature campaign in support of the local Armenian population in the region, the council representatives have told reporters.

Head of Javakhk Compatriots' Union and member of the ruling Republican Party faction in parliament Shirak Torosyan, and the president of the Yerkir Union, Sevak Artsruni, told a news conference that all the organizations represented in the council have joined an Internet campaign aimed at the protection of the ethnic Armenians' rights in the Georgian region.

The electronic campaign launched by Armenian bloggers about a fortnight ago calls on the Georgian authorities to immediately release jailed Armenian activist Vahagn Chakhalyan, stop political persecutions against Armenian public and political figures, recognize Armenian as a regional language, grant a legal status to the Georgian-Armenian diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, as well as facilitate certain procedures on the Armenian-Georgian check-point. The authors of the initiative also call for lifting bans on Armenian activists' entry to Georgia.

"We officially declare that we are joining the process and will have more and more people sign the petition," Torosyan said.

"We'll do everything possible to have many [signatures] and submit the document to relevant structures (the letter is addressed to the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UN senior representatives –Tert.am) and Armenian representations proposing that they provide an adequate response to the problems of Javakhk Armenians."

The MP said that in addition to the electronic campaign, the organization is planning to collect signatures from people in different towns of Armenia.

"We are planning to send this letter to the European countries that have big Armenian communities, so as they could submit it to their countries' elected representatives in European structures."

Speaking further on the issue, Sevak Artsruni characterized the campaign a good chance to demonstrate Armenians' unanimity over their compatriots' problems in Javakhk.

Asked to what extent the campaign would help resolve the problems of ethnic Armenians Torosyan said they didn’t have 100% confidence, though hoped for certain positive changes.

"This is a regular stage of our campaign, attracting larger masses, and we believe it will help resolve some problems. We have now moved to a different platform attracting people via the Internet, and I think will manage to reach some solutions," he said.