Vahagn Chakhalyan Armenia's 'Hrant Dink' in Javakhk - activist

16:24 • 18.11.11
Event

Armenian film director Tigran Khzmalyan considers the jailed Georgian-Armenian public figure, Vahagn Chakhalyan, Armenia's scapegoat in Javakhk region.

At a news conference on Friday, he even compared the activist with Hrant Dink, the assassinated editor-in-chief of the Armenian-Turkish weekly Agos.

"Hrant Dink's name was hardly ever mentioned in the past, but now that he's no longer alive it's very easy to say he is our flag. Vahagn Chakhalyan is now our Hrant Dink. Today we have a political prisoner in Javakhk, who, despite being in detention, leads the Javakhk-Armenians' struggle, not allowing any insult to their national dignity," he told reporters.

Khzmalyan, who is an active member of Sardarapat group, said the Georgian authorities seek to represent Chakhalyan's arrest as a national minority issue notwithstanding the fact that the Armenians in Javakhk live on their historical land.

The Georgian authorities arrested Chakhalyan in 2008, accusing him of resisting a representative of the authorities, acquiring and maintaining weapons and plotting disorders. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison and now serves his time in a tight security penal colony.

"Several armed troops of the Georgian special services entered Javakahk to arrest Chakhalyan. Yerevan's tacit response was evident," Khzmalyan added.

The activist said that the group had several times applied to the Foreign Ministry but their proposals for a meeting had been declined.

Khzmalyan called for pan-national efforts for freeing the jailed activist.

"It's not only the Javakhk-Armenians that have to deal with Vahagn Chalhalyan's case; that's a pan-national issue. As a matter of fact, Javakhk is our northern gate, our window of opportunities to the West. It is not a cumbersome problem for the Armenian and Georgian authorities," he added.
 

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