WILL CHAKHALIAN BE RECOGNIZED POLITICAL PRISONER?

Under the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia enacted on June 24, 2009, foreign lawyers are no longer allowed to defend Georgian citizens on the territory of Georgia. On June 30, at the hearing in a Georgian court appealing the decision of the Georgian Ministry of Justice to prohibit French lawyer Patrick Arabian to assume the defense of Javakhk activist Vahagn Chakhalyan, the requirements of the amendments were presented. The "Yerkir Union", in response to this recent turn of events, has proclaimed that, "The Georgian authorities make amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code in order to deny registration of a French lawyer as a defender of Vahagn Chakhalian." The "Yerkir Union's statement runs: "Adoption of the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Georgia coincided with the processes surrounding the registration of a French lawyer as a defender of Vahagn Chakhalian, which cannot be a coincidence. In fact, by the adoption of this law the Georgian authorities created a basis for the court to disallow the claim, appealing the illegal decision to refuse registration. By its step to "legitimize" a violation of Vahagn Chakhalian's rights by using the supreme legislative body of the state, the Georgian authorities once again show that the trial on Javakheti political activist has purely political grounds, based on trumped-up charges, and to crown it they are not only ready to grossly violate the fundamental right to a fair and impartial trial, but also discretionally reshape laws of their country. The "Yerkir" Union calls upon the Ombudsman of Georgia, the international structures and human rights organizations: - To recognize Vahagn Chakhalian as a political prisoner; - To assess the facts of flagrant violations of Vahagn Chakhalian's rights; - To put adequate pressure on the Georgian authorities in order to ensure the right of Vahagn Chakhalian to a fair and impartial trial.

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