Former Georgian-Armenians Ask Putin to Raise their Issues on ‘International Platforms’

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the inhabitants of the Armenian-populated Georgian region of Samtskhe-Javakheti fled their homeland and found a new home in different regions of the Russian Federation, reads a letter by the Javakhk Diaspora of Russia addressed to Russian presidential candidate Vladimir Putin’s campaign manager Stanislav Govorukhin, published by the Regnum news agency on Monday.

“The Georgian authorities continue to violate the rights of national minorities, particularly the Armenian population in Samtskhe-Javakheti region. Our organization appeals to you with a request: please tell Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin that we are asking him to help us (our members) to report and make public on international platforms (PACE, UN, UN Security Council and so on) the true facts of what is occuring in the Armenian-populated Georgian region.

“We understand quite well that Russia recently tried to defend the residents of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but this all turned upside down and continues to be blatantly distorted by Western media and media organizations. Accordingly, this currently restricts and doesn’t allow Russia to continue to openly intervene in matters relating to the rights of national minorities living in Georgia. However, considering that Russia is the successor of the Soviet Union, it should and undoubtedly can help in protecting the rights and freedoms of Armenians residing in Javakheti — by allowing Javakhq residents access to international tribunes,” reads the letter.