10.2006 - Source: International Federation for Human Rights

No existing strategy to protect minority languages; human rights violations by officials; Tbilisi tax officials closed 10 Armenian-owned shops ("Note: Situation of Human Rights in Georgia") [ID 18500]

"In Georgia, minorities are particularly vulnerable to recurrent human rights violations, including violation of civil and political rights and violations of economic, social and cultural rights. (See FIDH International Fact-finding Mission Report: « Ethnic minorities in Georgia ». April 2005).  

Tensions between central power and regions with strong minorities' population are increased by the use of the official language and the current status of minorities' languages. Despite the European Framework Convention for Protection of Minorities and the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages there is no existing strategy to protect minority languages. I

n this context, human rights violations against Azeri and Armenian minorities increased those last years.[…]  

Last year, Armenians demonstrated on several occasions in Samse-Javakheti. In March 2005, 6,000 Javakh Armenians rallied in Akhalkalaki to protest a resolution in the Georgian parliament that called for the withdrawal of the Russian military base, because that one was their unique source of employment, while the Central Government did not foresee substitute work. The Samse-Javakheti is an isolated and mountainous region, where the Javakheti sub-region is a predominantly populated region by Armenians and very poor.  

In October, Tbilisi tax officials closed 10 small Armenian-owned shops in Akhalkalaki for financial irregularities, setting off protests by hundreds in front of the district's state administration building. Local police tried to disband the demonstrators with rubber truncheons and by firing gunshots into the air, injuring many of them.  

In 2006, on 9 March, an ethnic Armenian was killed in a bar in Tsalka following a fight between Armenians and Ajars; soon afterwards, hundreds of ethnic Armenians marched in memory of the man they called a victim of the climate of ethnic intolerance.  

Only two days later, Armenians gathered in Akhalkalaki to protest the dismissal of an ethnic Armenian judge, the latest of several fired for not knowing and using the Georgian language in court. To reinforce the now-frequent demand that the Armenian tongue be given equal status with Georgian, the protesters raided a local courtroom, ousted a Georgian judge, and then stormed a Georgian Orthodox church and the local branch of Tbilisi State University.   "

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17.07.2006 - Source: ReliefWeb

A lack of language rights and other cultural privileges for Armenian community in the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti could lead to crisis ("Officials and activists ponder ways to ease discontent among Armenians in Georgia"), Autor: EurasiaNet [ID 15713]

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01.05.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Georgian Defense Minister accusses Russian security services to mastermind protests in Akhalkalaki in order to hinder the withdrawal process of the Russian military base there; Protest rally planned for 3 May ("Okruashvili Warns of Provocations in Akhalkalaki") [ID 15547]

Document(s): Open document

30.03.2006 - Source: EurasiaNet

Report on the situation in predominantly ethnic Armenian regions: Rising discontent after recent rioting; complaints concerning the central government’s language policy, as well as perceptions of discrimination ("Language Rights Issue Fuel Discord in Georgia") [#48350],  [ID 5017]

Document(s): Open document

20.03.2006 - Source: Armenialiberty

Javakhk: Tensions between Armenians and Georgians after one local Armenian was killed and 2 injured in March broke lose on domestic, not on ethnic grounds, says Ambassador Revaz Gachechiladze ("Georgians, Armenians seek relif in ethnic tensions") [#47040],  [ID 5018]

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17.03.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Tsalka: Wave of clashes between Georgians and Armenians; long history of ethnic clashes ("Georgia: Tsalka District Again Wracked By Ethnic Violence") [#46864],  [ID 5019]

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16.03.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Interview with analyst Ghia Nodia of the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development on recent political devlopments (government policies, the murder of Girgvliani, developments in Akhalkalaki, civil society and opposition work) ("Analyst Comments on Recent Political Developments") [#47364],  [ID 5020]

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

After clash in multiethnic town of Tsalka, Kvemo Kartli region on 9 March and the death of young ethnic Armenian Georgian Public Defender say that confrontation has nothing to do with ethnic confrontation; ethnic minority advocacy groups see ethnic reasons behind clash and say ethnic confrontations have increased in Tsalka ("Ombudsman Rules Out Ethnic Motives Behind Tsalka Clash") [#46665],  [ID 5021]

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10.03.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Tsalka: One person killed in ethnic clashes ("Ethnic Clashes In Eastern Georgia Leave One Dead") [#46282],  [ID 5022]

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02.2006 - Source: European Centre for Minority Issues

Samtske-Javakheti region is considered as potential conflict zone in Georgia; it is isolated geographically and linguistically and most ethnic Armenians have poor command of Georgian language; young Armenians tend to leave Georgia for studies in Armenia and Russia because of language barrier ("Managing Ethnic Diversity in Javakheti: Two European Models of Multilingual Tertiary Education") [#47208],  [ID 5023]

"One of the ten regions of Georgia, Samtskhe-Javakheti, is often considered as a potential conflict zone and has been a region of major concern for the government since Georgia’s independence in 1991. The region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, and especially the two rayons (districts) forming Javakheti, namely Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda, are inhabited by a very large number of ethnic Armenians, who speak Armenian or Russian as their first language (according to 2002 Georgian government census the proportion of Armenians in the districts of Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda are 94.3% and 95.8% respectively). […] Of great concern to the region’s population is not only the preservation of their languages and culture but also the future economic development of the region, which is today among the poorest in the country. […] Moreover, the Javakheti region […] is topographically isolated from the rest of the country because of its mountainous location, and the harsh climate and poor road infrastructure makes its hard to access in winter.
The region is not only isolated geographically but also linguistically. Indeed, the overwhelming majority of the population of Javakheti […] does not have command of the sole official language of Georgia. This situation has major consequences since the language barrier makes communication with the central authorities difficult. Whereas communication is possible in Russian between the different ethnic groups of the region, access to Georgian news and legislation remains a huge problem. As a result, most residents of the Javakheti region are poorly informed of what is going on in their country and tend to turn to Armenia or Russia as sources of information. Even though several projects are being conducted in the region by international organizations and NGOs in order to defuse ethnic tension and to promote regional integration into national structures, the language issue remains a major factor preventing regional integration, especially as regards the field of education. […] Since ethnic Armenians in Javakheti have a very poor command of the state language, they tend to attend university and other institutions of higher learning in Yerevan or in Russia and, consequently, the better educated segments of the population tend to remain abroad after completing their higher education. Out-migration of educated young people, therefore, is a major concern since it entails bleak consequences for the future development of the region. […]
Article 7 of the new Law of Georgia on General Education stipulates: “the State shall guarantee the right of a pupil to receive general education in the state or native language as close as possible to his residence”. Thus, Russian, Armenian and Georgian language schools function in the Javakheti region, although the overwhelming majority of them are Armenian. Since the region is inhabited by more than 90% of ethnic Armenians, most schoolchildren attend Armenian schools.
[...] Georgian language and literature is a compulsory subject in all schools of Georgia. All schoolchildren are supposed to master Georgian after completion of the eleven obligatory school years. The reality, however, is quite different since schoolchildren in Javakheti have a very poor command, if any, of the state language when graduating from minority language schools. Several explanations can be given for the failure of Javakheti’s pupils to learn Georgian. [O]ne of the main reasons for the failure of pupils to learn Georgian is the general decline of the education system in the country following independence. […] Regarding more specifically the teaching of Georgian to non native-speakers, there is a lack of a satisfactory teaching methodology based on interactivity, i.e. encouraging communication skills. […] Whereas the state of school buildings is not particularly good throughout the country, it is alarming in Javakheti. […] heating is a major problem in this region where minimum temperatures can fall to minus 30 degrees in winter. […] The teaching environment is thus rather bad and has major consequences on the quality of education. Second, there is a lack of qualified teachers of Georgian as a foreign language in the region. Despite the high salary offered in 2004/05 by the Ministry of Education to forty young teachers for teaching Georgian in Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo-Kartli, Georgian language teachers are still quite reluctant to move to this remote region because of the harsh climatic conditions, especially in winter. […] Third, because of the ethnic composition of Javakheti, it is almost impossible for Javakheti’s children to use Georgian outside school. Finally, and more importantly, since many young Armenians from Javakheti see their future in Armenia or Russia, they lack the will to learn a language that in their opinion will not give them any career opportunities in the future. […] many Armenians in Javakheti tend to leave the region and study in Yerevan, where they can be educated in their native language. This tendency is likely to increase in the next few years following the introduction, in 2005 of unified national university entry examinations. […] As no provisions are foreseen for students graduating from minority language schools, most of them tend to fail the examination because of the language barrier. The unified national examinations took place for the first time in 2005 and showed catastrophic results in Akhalkalaki district. Out of the 64 Armenian speakers taking part in the Georgian language entry examination in Akhalkalaki district, only two (sic!) passed it. Even though the Ministry of Education intends to introduce an easier exam for persons belonging to national minorities in 2006, access to university remains uncertain for Armenians in Javakheti."

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06.01.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Armenian schools operating in country's south that allegedly had no licence from Georgian education ministry closed by financial police ("Georgia Closes Armenian Schools") [#41428],  [ID 5024]

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05.01.2006 - Source: Council of Europe - Parliamentary Assembly

Main problems faced by Azeris and Armenians are economic integration and education; large part of population does not speak Georgian; on Georgian TV minority languages are broadcasted 20 minutes per week ("Implementation of Resolution 1415 (2005) on the honouring of obligations and commitments by Georgia [Doc. 10779]") [#41527],  [ID 5025]

"162. One of the main problems the Georgian authorities will have to tackle once the Framework Convention is ratified is the situation of the Azerbaijani and Armenian minorities living in Georgia. […]
163. According to the NGO's we met in November the main problem faced both by Armenians and Azerbaijanis living in Georgia is on the one hand economic integration and on the other hand education. We learnt to our great surprise that schools in the regions populated by Armenians and Azerbaijanis were offering education only in the Azeri and Armenian languages or in Russian and that a very large part of the population does not speak Georgian at all. Most of the television and radio programmes are broadcasted from the neighbouring countries and the nation wide Georgian TV only has a 20 minute news programme in every minority language once a week (there are five official minorities in Georgia so news are broadcasted only once a week for every minority).
164. On the other hand, teaching of minority languages also deserves attention. Azeri and Armenian children living outside the above-mentioned regions, but also other minorities, apart from Russians, e.g Ossetian, Ukrainian, Greek, Yezid, are rarely able to study their own languages in the schools. With those attending schools where Russian is the medium of instruction, there appears to a problem learning Georgian satisfactorily.
165. We consider it of utmost importance that the authorities ensure that all citizens of Georgia have sufficient command of the Georgian language, while at the same time respecting the cultural rights of the minorities living on Georgian territory."

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18.10.2005 - Source: Transkaukasus Institut

Status of ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan; requirements for obtainment of passports and for entry; political and economic situation in Azerbaijan and in Nagorno-Karabakh; situation of ethnic Armenians in Georgia (expert opinion, in German) ("Stellungnahme vom 18.10.2005 an OVG Mecklenburg-Vorpommern - 3 L 176/01 -") [#42740],  [ID 5026]

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06.10.2005 - Source: Civil Georgia

Akhalkalaki: Hundreds of local residents of town which is predominantly populated by ethnic Armenians, rallied on October 5 protesting against closure of trade facilities by financial police ("Locals, Police Clash in Akhalkalaki") [#42508],  [ID 5027]

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15.06.2005 - Source: Freedom House

Law on Citizens´ Political Associations enables denial to registrate Virk, a political party which supports Armenian autonomy in province of Samtskhe-Javakheti ("Nations in Transit 2005") [#32929],  [ID 5028]

"The 1997 Law on Citizens’ Political Associations (as well as the actual practices of government) presents no significant barriers to political organization and registration. The only important restriction is that against the creation of regionally based political parties. This provision was used by the Ministry of Justice to deny registration to Virk, a political party based in the ethnic Armenian–populated province of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Virk supports creating an ethnically based Armenian autonomy in the region, which causes concern in Georgian society."

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04.05.2005 - Source: Civil Georgia

12 servicemen deserted their military unit in Akhaltsikhe, claiming they were subjected to human rights abuses and intimidation from officers and other servicemen; all of them are residents of Akhalkalaki, a town predominately populated by ethnic Armenians ("Soldiers Go AWOL in Akhaltsikhe") [#42869],  [ID 5029]

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22.04.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

Protests by ethnic Armenians, Georgia's largest ethnic minority, against the closure of a Russian military base in Samtskhe-Javakheti underscore the president's difficulties to promote inter-ethnic accord in the country (""Diversity is our strength"- Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili"), Autor: EurasiaNet [ID 15471]

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14.04.2005 - Source: Civil Georgia

Yerevan: Armenian students held protest rally at Georgian Embassy in Yerevan to support ethnic Armenian residents in Georgia's Samtkshe-Javakheti region ("Reports: Armenian Students Protest at Georgian Embassy in Yerevan") [#43254],  [ID 5030]

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2002 - Source: Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development

Report on the Azeri, Armenian and Meskhetian minorities ("Ethnic-Confessional Groups and Challenges to Civic Integration in Georgia. Azeri, Javakheti Armenian and Muslim Meskhetian Communities.") [#8276],  [ID 5031]

Document(s): Open document
cpidd-geo2002-minorities.pdf

08.2001 - Source: European Centre for Minority Issues

ECMI: Armenian population lives in dire economic conditions ("Armenian Minority in Georgia: Defusing Interethnic Tension") [#10613],  [ID 5034]

"Apart from ongoing regional political games and conflicting interests, the situation of the Armenian minority in Georgia is exacerbated by two main factors. One is economic underdevelopment and another the minority policy of the Georgian government and the general role of minorities in the ongoing formation of Georgian statehood and civic institutions. The Armenian population lives in dire economic conditions, which largely reflects not so much the neglect of the Georgian authorities but the economic weakness of Georgia in general. Degrading living conditions and economic hardship may provide legitimacy to the radical nationalist demands of the Armenian minority, which will further undermine the already fragile Georgian statehood. Another legitimating factor may become the shortsighted minority policy of the government, which is repeatedly criticized by the nationalist Armenians in
Javakheti and is largely based on the neglect of minority issues. Even though the Georgian constitution provides for equal treatment of minorities and
the legislature has all provisions against discrimination, more work has to be done for the enforcement of those provisions and, more importantly, for the building of the 12 Nezavisimaja Gazeta, March 27, 1997, also cited in the CIPDD report. civil society and inclusive understanding of Georgian citizenship. It is easily detectable that the Armenian minority in Javakheti does not have a strong sense of Georgian citizenship, and the mutual support of the Georgian state and its Armenian minority is very limited."

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