23:20, 25 April 2007

Leaders of Armenian community arrested in Georgia

On April 24, about 10:00 p.m. Moscow time, Nairi Iritsyan, member of the Presidium of the Democratic Alliance "United Dzhavakhk" and Sacrebulo (local parliament) Deputy, and Arthur Pogosyan, Alliance activist, were arrested in the Akhalkalakskiy District of Georgia, inhabited by Armenians, the "Dzhavakhk-Info" Agency reports.

Under non-confirmed data, the reason of the arrest was a quarrel between the driver of the public prosecutor of the District and the above persons. On April 24, the driver committed an automobile-pedestrian accident in relation to Andranik Abelyan, Deputy of the District Sacrebulo and member of the Democratic Alliance "United Dzhavakhk." According to the witnesses, the driver and the persons in the car not only refused to help the victim and take him to hospital, but started a fight with Nairi Iritsyan, Arthur Pogosyan and others, who hurried to help the victim.

Earlier in 2007, Mr. Pogosyan was convicted as an active participant of protest actions against electricity cut-offs.

Author: Alena Aleschenko, CK correspondent