Amnesty International USA
Jan 20 2007
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA
PRESS RELEASE
January 19, 2007
Amnesty International Condemns Murder of Hrant Dink
(Washington, DC) — Amnesty International deplores the murder today
of the prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The
organization believes that he was targeted because of his work as a
journalist who championed freedom of expression.
"This horrifying assassination silences one of Turkey’s bravest human
rights defenders," said Maureen Greenwood-Basken, Amnesty
International USA (AIUSA) Advocacy Director for Europe and Central
Asia. "Writers put their lives on the line when they cover human
rights violations, as the cases of Russian journalist Anna
Politkovskaya, and now Hrant Dink, brutally illustrate.
"But legitimate debate about ideas must be protected. The Turkish
government must redouble its efforts to protect human rights
defenders and open its political climate to a range of views. Recent
legal reforms have brought many areas of Turkish law in line with
international human rights standards, but existing limitations on
free speech such as Article 301 must be repealed.
"The U.S. government, as one of Turkey’s closest allies, should push
for a full and transparent investigation into Dink’s murder."
AIUSA is a longstanding advocate of freedom of speech in Turkey and
around the world. In an online action in October 2006, AIUSA
activists sent thousands of messages urging repeal of Article 301.
Dink, editor of the newspaper Agos and contributor to the influential
daily Zaman, was reportedly shot three times today in Istanbul
outside the Agos offices. He was 53. Dink was a passionate promoter
of the universality of human rights who appeared on different
platforms with human rights activists, journalists and intellectuals
across the political spectrum. Best known for his willingness to
debate openly and critically issues of Armenian identity and official
versions of history in Turkey relating to the massacres of Armenians
in 1915, Dink also wrote widely on issues of democratization and
human rights.
"In Turkey there are still a number of harsh laws which endorse the
suppression of freedom of speech," said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and
Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International. "These
laws, coupled with the persisting official statements by senior
government, state and military officials condemning critical debate
and dissenting opinion, create an atmosphere in which violent attacks
can take place."
Last year, Dink was prosecuted for the third time on charges of
"denigrating Turkishness" under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal
Code. Amnesty International called for the repeal of that law and
condemned his prosecution as part of a pattern of judicial harassment
against him for peacefully expressing his dissenting opinion. Dink
had already been given a six-month suspended prison sentence in July
2006 following an October 2005 conviction on charges of "denigrating
Turkishness."
Amnesty International calls on the Turkish authorities to condemn all
forms of intolerance, to uphold the rights of all citizens of the
Turkish Republic and to investigate Dink?s murder thoroughly and
impartially, to make the findings of the investigation public and to
bring suspected perpetrators to justice in accordance with
international fair trial standards.
For further information about Amnesty International’s concerns
regarding Article 301 please see Turkey: Article 301: How the law on
"denigrating Turkishness" is an insult to free expression.