Sergey Minasyan FROM POLITICAL RALLIES TO CONVENTIONS POLITICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS OF PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF THE ARMENIAN ETHNIC MINORITY IN GEORGIA AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE SAMTSKHE-JAVAKHETI REGION Yerevan 2007 ê»ñ·»Û ØÇݳëÛ³Ý ø²Ô²ø²Î²Ü òàôÚòºðÆò ¸ºäÆ Ð²Ø²Ò²Úܲ¶ðºð ìð²êî²ÜÆ Ð²Ú ¾ÂÜÆÎ²Î²Ü öàøð²Ø²êÜàôÂÚ²Ü Æð²ìàôÜøܺðÆ ä²Þîä²ÜàôÂÚ²Ü ø²Ô²ø²Î²Ü ºì Æð²ì²Î²Ü ²êäºÎîܺðÀ ê²Øòʺ-æ²ì²ÊøÆ î²ð²Ì²Þðæ²ÜÆ úðÆܲÎàì ºñ¨³Ý 2007 Ðî¸ (341.231.14) ¶Øä (6791) Ø-710 Minasyan, S. From Political Rallies to Conventions: Political and Legal Aspects of Protecting the Rights of the Armenian Ethnic Minority in Georgia as Exemplified by the Samtskhe-Javakheti Region. – Yerevan, CMI and the ‘Yerkir’ NGO Union, 2007. – p. 92. The volume analyses the situation with human and minority rights in Georgia and suggests ways of integrating minorities in the social, political and cultural life of the country. The author looks at the legal framework for minority issues, focusing on Georgia’s international legal obligations and their political implementation practices. In a case study of the Armenian-populated region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, the author proposes mechanisms and recommendations for achieving a compromise between minorities’ needs to preserve their identity, language and culture, and to achieve factual political rights, on one hand, and their profound civil integration, on the other. Scientific Editor: A. Iskandaryan Editors: H. Kharatyan, N. Iskandaryan, R. Tatoyan Translation from Russian: V. Kisin English version editor: N. Iskandaryan Cover photo by R. Mangasaryan Cover design and layout by “Matit” Studio / www.matit.am Printed by “Samark” LLC Ø 710 ØÇݳëÛ³Ý ê. ø³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý óáõÛó»ñÇó ¹»åÇ Ñ³Ù³Ó³Ûݳ•ñ»ñ. ìñ³ëï³ÝÇ Ñ³Û ¿ÃÝÇÏ³Ï³Ý ÷áùñ³Ù³ëÝáõÃÛ³Ý Çñ³íáõÝùÝ»ñÇ å³ßïå³ÝáõÃÛ³Ý ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý »õ Çñ³í³Ï³Ý ³ëå»ÏïÝ»ñÁ ê³ÙóË»-æ³í³ËùÇ ï³ñ³Í³ßñç³ÝÇ ûñÇݳÏáí. - ºñ»õ³Ý, Èñ³ïí³ÙÇçáóÝ»ñÇ ÏáíϳëÛ³Ý ÇÝëïÇïáõï »õ гÛñ»Ý³¹³ñÓáõÃÛ³Ý »õ ÑÇÙݳíáñÙ³Ý §ºñÏÇñ¦ ѳë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñÇ ÙÇáõÃÛáõÝ, 2007. - ¾ç. 92. àõëáõÙݳëÇñáõÃÛáõÝÁ ÝíÇñí³Í ¿ ìñ³ëï³ÝáõÙ Ù³ñ¹áõ »õ ¿ÃÝÇÏ³Ï³Ý ÷áùñ³Ù³ëÝáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñÇ Çñ³íáõÝùÝ»ñÇ å³ßïå³ÝáõÃÛ³Ý áÉáñïáõÙ ïÇñáÕ Çñ³íÇ׳ÏÇ í»ñÉáõÍáõÃÛ³ÝÁ, »ñÏñÇ ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý áõ Ùß³ÏáõóÛÇÝ ÏÛ³ÝùÇÝ ¿ÃÝÇÏ³Ï³Ý ÷áùñ³Ù³ëÝáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñÇ Ñ³Ù³ñÏÙ³Ý Ñ»é³ÝϳñÝ»ñÇ áñáÝÙ³ÝÁ: лﳽáïíáõÙ »Ý ïíÛ³É ËݹÇñÁ ϳñ·³íáñáÕ ³éϳ, ³Û¹ ÃíáõÙ` ÙÇç³½·³ÛÇÝ-Çñ³í³Ï³Ý å³ñï³íáñáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñÇó »õ ųٳݳϳÏÇó ìñ³ëï³ÝáõÙ ¹ñ³Ýó ·áñÍÝ³Ï³Ý ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý Çñ³Ï³Ý³óÙ³Ý åñ³ÏïÇϳÛÇó µËáÕ Çñ³í³Ï³Ý ßñç³Ý³ÏÝ»ñÁ: г۳µÝ³Ï ê³ÙóË»-æ³í³Ëù ï³ñ³Í³ßñç³ÝÇ ûñÇݳÏáí ٻ˳ÝǽÙÝ»ñ áõ ѳÝÓݳñ³ñ³Ï³ÝÝ»ñ Ù߳ϻÉáõ ÷áñÓ ¿ ³ñíáõÙ, ÙÇ ÏáÕÙÇó, ÷áùñ³Ù³ëÝáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñÇ ÇÝùÝáõÃÛ³Ý, É»½íÇ áõ Ùß³ÏáõÛÃÇ å³Ñå³ÝáõÃÛ³Ý, Ýñ³Ýó ù³Õ³ù³Ï³Ý Çñ³Ï³Ý Çñ³íáõÝùÝ»ñ ïñ³Ù³¹ñ»Éáõ »õ, ÙÛáõë ÏáÕÙÇó, Ýñ³Ýó ѻﳷ³ ù³Õ³ù³óÇ³Ï³Ý Ñ³Ù³ñÏÙ³Ý ÙÇç»õ ÷á˽ÇçÙ³Ý Ñ³ëÝ»Éáõ ѳٳñ: ¶Çï³Ï³Ý ËÙµ³·Çñ` ². Æëϳݹ³ñÛ³Ý ÊÙµ³·ÇñÝ»ñ` Ð. ʳé³ïÛ³Ý, Ü. Æëϳݹ³ñÛ³Ý, è. ³ÃáÛ³Ý èáõë»ñ»ÝÇó óñ·Ù³Ý»ó` ì. ÎÇëÇÝ ²Ý·É»ñ»Ý óñ·Ù³ÝáõÃÛ³Ý ËÙµ³·Çñ` Ü. Æëϳݹ³ñÛ³Ý üáïá` è. سݕ³ë³ñÛ³Ý Þ³åÇÏÇ Ó»õ³íáñáõÙ »õ ٳϻï` §Ø³ïÇï¦ ëïáõ¹Çá / www.matit.am îå³·ñí»É ¿ §ê³Ù³ñϦ êäÀ ïå³ñ³ÝáõÙ ¶Øä 67.91+ 66.3 (2 ìñ) ISBN - 99941-2-058-1 © 2006 by Caucasus Media Institute and the ‘Yerkir’ NGO Union © Èñ³ïí³ÙÇçáóÝ»ñÇ ÏáíϳëÛ³Ý ÇÝëïÇïáõï »õ гÛñ»Ý³¹³ñÓáõÃÛ³Ý »õ ÑÇÙݳíáñÙ³Ý §ºñÏÇñ¦ ѳë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý ϳ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñÇ ÙÇáõÃÛáõÝ, 2006. ܳ˳•ÍÇ Ý³Ë³Ó»éÝáÕ »õ •É˳íáñ Ñáí³Ý³íáñ` гÛñ»Ý³¹³ñÓáõÃÛ³Ý »õ ÑÇÙݳíáñÙ³Ý §ºñÏÇñ¦ гë³ñ³Ï³Ï³Ý γ½Ù³Ï»ñåáõÃÛáõÝÝ»ñÇ ØÇáõÃÛáõÝ / www.yerkir.org TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 ............... EDITOR’S NOTE 7 ............... FOREWORD 10 ............. INTRODUCTION 15 ............. CHAPTER 1. GEORGIA IN THE LIGHT OF COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LEGAL NORMS AND MECHANISMS IN THE FIELD OF HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE RIGHTS OF ETHNIC MINORITIES 15 ............. 1.1. International legal standards in the UN framework 16 ............. 1.2. International legal standards in the OSCE framework 18 ............. 1.3. International legal standards in the framework of the Council of Europe 23 ............. CHAPTER 2. NORMS OF THE GEORGIAN LAW WITH REGARD TO PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RIGHTS OF ETHNIC MINORITIES, AND THEIR POLITICAL IMPLEMENTATION 23 ............. 2.1. General 27 ............. 2.2. Freedom of speech and of using the mother tongue 39 ............. 2.3. Freedom of education and culture 45 ............. 2.4. Freedom of religion 52 ............. 2.5. Political rights and development of local self-governance 61 ............. RECOMMENDATIONS 61 ............. Protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms 61 ............. Law and legal standards 62 ............. Socio-political area 62 ............. Activities of international organizations 63 ............. Activities of international donor organizations 63 ............. Linguistic issues 63 ............. Cultural and educational fields 64 ............. Freedom of conscience and freedom to practise religion 64 ............. Local governance area 65 ............. Civic integration and participation of minorities in social and political life 65 ............. Socio-economic sphere 66 ............. CONCLUSION 69 ............. BIBLIOGRAPHY 76 ............. APPENDICES 76 ............. Appendix 1: List of international legal UN documents signed by Georgia 77 ............. Appendix 2: List of legal documents in the framework of the Council of Europe to which Georgia is a party 78 ............. Appendix 3: Georgia’s Declarations to the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities 80 ............. Appendix 4: International Crisis Group Recommendation to the Georgian Government 82 ............. CMI PUBLICATIONS EDITOR’S NOTE The book we offer to the reader here is an abridged edition of the full version that appeared in Russian and Armenian. The abridged version in English is identical to the one in Georgian. The reasons this book was published in a number of formats are purely technical; this is fortunately not an insurmountable obstacle for experts: those who are interested have an option of reading the full text in Russian or Armenian. In fact, the book is aimed not only, and perhaps not so much, at those who specialize in affairs of South Caucasus or post-Soviet space and can read in Russian or Armenian. It is devoted to problems that plague Javakheti, one of the regions of South Georgia. The majority of the population of this territory, one of the economically least developed in Georgia, are ethnic Armenians. Problems that are common for the entire Georgian state – lame and stuttering system of administration, corruption, separation from the system of decision making etc – get even more complicated in Javakheti because representatives of an ethnic minority form compact settlement in the region. Problems with linguistic and cultural policies, local self-governance, political and civil rights, resistance to facilitation of contacts with Armenia that has common borders with this region etc, generate resentment and discontent in the local population which looks through the “lens of ethnicity” on practically every problem in the region, and produce a feeling of discrimination. The Georgian authorities, in their turn, respond with extreme apprehension to the autonomy demands that reach them from Javakheti and from public figures in Armenia who are often emigrants from Javakheti. This tangle of contradictions creates an almost classic model situation of a latent ethnic conflict in the making for the post-Soviet space and breeds mistrust between the ethnic majority and ethnic minorities in Georgia. At the same time, it is our good fortune that these contradictions and differing approaches to assessing the future of the region do not lead to an open confrontation. The country that lived through two really bloody conflicts (one in Abkhazia and another in South Ossetia) and is still unable to pacify and control them, does try to build its statehood in accordance with the standards accepted in the international community such as signing the appropriate documents and attempting to implement them, albeit not always successfully. We thus face an exceedingly interesting situation in which the apparent conflict of interest not only refuses to flare up into a war (like the widely known Karabakh- or Abkhazia-type military collisions) but does not even bring about consequences that are typical of similar types of conflicts in the West, like the Corsican or Basque confrontations. Nevertheless, the discourse in the two communities remains as torn apart 8 / Editor’s Note and as politicized and ethnicized as before, and in this form is often found in Western publications. It is common to both discourses (the Armenian and the Georgian) dealing with this problem that alarmism became a cliché of articles on the region published outside its borders. Both “pro-Armenian” and “pro-Georgian” versions appear in the West in special papers and in newspaper articles devoted to Javakheti. The book offered here to the reader is an attempt to avoid this mistake. To what extent the author succeeded in this is for his readers to decide.