Andrew A. Athens, President of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad has sent a new letter to Mikael Saakashvili, President of the Republic of Georgia regarding issues of security and violation of the human rights of Georgian citizens of Hellenic descent living at the area of Tsalka.
In his letter, Mr. Athens mentions that the incidents of violence against our fellow Hellenes continue to take place, while despite the personal commitment of the Georgian Prime Minister, Zourab Nogaideli during his meeting with SAE President on April 20 in Tbilisi, and the interest shown by the Georgian Minister of Refugees and National Minorities, Ms. Astemirova, no measures have been taken for the protection of the local Hellenic community. 
A distinctive example of the situation is the fact that just before Easter the Filipova sisters, ages 70 & 65 were brutally beaten by three armed young men in Keriaki village.  On May 10 & 11 three more violent acts by armed men against Hellenes took place in Trialeti, Besaseni and Hantiki villages near Tsalka.
οΏ½Our fellow Hellenes in Tsalka have been living under conditions of terror, especially for the last two years, resulting from the activities of gangs that murder them, destroy and trespass their properties. The eight murders of Hellenes, among them this of a 19 year old young man, have not been punished encouraging in this way violence exclusively against Georgian citizens of Hellenic descent in TsalkaοΏ½, Mr. Athens mentions in his letter. οΏ½Following the successful visit of President Bush in Georgia I believe that such acts blot the picture of a country that wishes to develop further its democratic processes to the benefit of its citizens with the support of the western world.οΏ½
SAE President also states the given interest of Diaspora Hellenes for Hellenes and their neighbors in Georgia. Through SAEοΏ½s Medical Program funded by both the US and Greece, more than one million medical services and humanitarian aid have offered to Hellenes and their neighbors regardless of their nationality and/ or religion.
οΏ½I am hoping for your immediate intervention in order to ensure effective police protection for the citizens of the Hellenic Community in the area of Tsalka and to finalize the procedures for the formation of a committee with the participation of representatives of the Federation of Hellenic Communities of Georgia that will examine the cases of the 2000 properties that have been illegally occupied. We are at your disposal to contribute to any effort to this directionοΏ½, states Mr. Athens.

All the archive of Press Releases & Announcements of SAE can be found at our website, www.sae.gr