Chakhalyan’s appeal rejected
Javakheti-based Armenian political activist Vahagn Chakhalyan today circulated a statement from a Rustaveli prison.
"The decision of Georgia's Supreme Court was quite expected. Like the First Instance Court and Appellate Court, the Supreme Court duly obeyed the instructions of Georgian authorities infringing the principles of fair trial," reads the statement.
A few days ago, the Supreme Court decided to reject the appeal on Chakhalyan's case.
The Javakheti activist demands to stop political persecution against Javakheti Armenians, repeal the verdicts on his father, brother and him, compensate all losses inflicted on them in the process of illegal trial, and start a fair and impartial investigation into his arrest.
"We were waiting for the decision for nine months. They deliberately prolong the trial in an attempt to pressurize Chakhalyan and achieve their desirable goal," Chakhalyan's advocate Stepan Voskanyan told A1+.
According to the advocate, Chakhalyan has no access to information in prison where the conditions are rather strict. There is not even a TV set to watch daily news.
On April 7, 2009, Chakhalyan was sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of purchasing and possessing arms, participating in disorders, organizing public disorders , (resisting police officer or public agent, and hooliganism.
