ARMENIAN YOUTH AND STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUE ACTIONS OF PROTEST
AGAINST HRANT DINK’S MURDER

YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On the initiative
of ARF Dashnaktsutiun’s Nikol Aghbalian student union, on January
22, over twenty youth and student organizations held a procession of
protest from central annex of YSU to EU office, in connection with
Istanbul Agos weekly editor Hrant Dink’s murder.

"The murder of leading Armenian intellectual, honored journalist Hrant
Dink in Turkey is not only a crime towards laureate of freedom of
expression, but also reawakening of anti-Armenian hysteria in the
country that committed the first genocide of 20th century," youth
organizations’ statement read.

The procession participants lit candles in front of Hrant Dink’s
portrait placed near EU office gate and stood in one-minute silence
in memory of Hrant Dink. They were carrying such placards as "Genocide
Continues," "Restrain Turkey!," "Turkey, Your Hands are Bloody."

As Abraham Gasparian, member of Nikol Aghbalian student union,
said, Hrant Dink’s murder calls in question the possibility of
Armenian-Turkish dialogue. "This crime committed on ethnic ground
should sober EU, and U.S. Congress should immediately adopt the
bill on recognition of the Armenian Genocide," the student from
ARFD emphasized.

The Nikol Aghbalian student union will continue its events against
Hrant Dink’s murder. On January 23, they will lay flowers at Yerevan
Tsitsernakaberd memorial complex. The students will also take part
in the mourning ceremony to take place at the Genocide Museum the
same day.

In A.Gasparian’s words, the Nikol Aghbalian student union also
initiated to launch a special web-site, where they will place
information about Hrant Dink in six languages, a signature collection
will be organized under the statement against the crime, which will be
addressed to the European Court of Human Rights and PEN international
organization of journalists and writers.