15 June 2004, 12:12
Georgians from Azerbaijan hold protest action in Tbilisi
Several tens of Azerbaijan citizens arrived in Tbilisi on June 14 and staged a protest action at the building of the Georgian State Chancellery. The rally took place when President of Azerbaijan Ilkham Aliyev was meeting with President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili in this building.
The protesters were Georgians living in the Kakhsky, Zakatalsky and Belokansky districts of modern Azerbaijan, which form the historic Georgian region Saingilo. They protested against infringement of their rights because of their nationality. Participants asserted in particular that local Azerbaijan authorities closed Georgian schools in the region stage-by-stage, forced Georgians living in the region to change their family names and give children Azerbaijan names, and subjected them to other forms of national discrimination.
Source: REGNUM News Agency
