Tbilisi/25.01.13/Turan-BS PRESS: Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili accused Premier Bidzina Ivanishvili of a serious error. This happened after his release from prison on Friday of the leader of the Armenian separatists in Javakheti Vahagn Chakhalyan.
He is an enemy of Georgia and "resident of the Russian special services," Saakashvili said at a special briefing on Friday, January 25.
One of the political activists in Samtskhe-Javakheti region (Eastern Georgia), the leader of the political movement "Democratic Union - United Javakhk" Vahagn Chakhalyan was released yesterday due to the declaration of a large-scale amnesty in Georgia.
He was arrested on July 21, 2008 at his home and charged with purchase and possession of arms and ammunition, organizing events that disrupted public order, as well as a group resisting the authorities on a prior agreement.
On April 7, 2009 the court sentenced him to 10 years in prison. A number of Armenian media called and still call him a political prisoner.
According to Saakashvili, "Chakhalian was released at the request of the Catholicos of All Armenians Gareghin II, who addressed to the Prime Minister of Georgia," and "the Georgian Prime Minister will not be able to evade responsibility in connection with the decision, which he took solely."
"I think he (Ivanishvili) made a hard mistake, which will return to the people of Georgia and the Georgian state very badly in the coming months and years," Saakashvili said, stressing that "Chakhalyan is a direct resident of the Russian special services."
Chakhalyan destroyed a Georgian Diocese church, a Georgian university, local government and the Georgian police in Akhalkalaki, and was against the withdrawal of Russian troops from Akhalkalaki," said the head of the Georgian state.
Saakashvili did not rule out that the aim of liberating Chakhalyan was "to cause unrest in Javakheti and thus hinder the construction of the railway (Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars), linking Georgia to Europe, bypassing Russia."
According to recent data, the population of the Samtskhe-Javakheti region is 238,000 people, of which 53% are Armenians. But in many areas of the region Armenians make up the vast majority of the population, particularly in the Akhalkalaki district - 91.3% and in Ninotsminda - 89.6%. -02B-
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