PREREQUISITES LEADING TO DINK’S MURDER TO BE CONDEMNED

Strasburg, January 25. ArmInfo. The prerequisites leading to
murder of Turkish journalist of Armenian origins Hrant Dink must
be condemned, Armen Rustamyan, Head of Foreign Affairs Committee
of Armenian Parliament, representative of Armenian delegation to
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said at the
report discussion of Andrew McIntosh, Member of the UK Parliament,
Member of the Sub-Committee on the Media of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe.

A. Rustamyan said that H. Dink’s murder was an attempt to slain the
freedom of action. "However, officials of the Council of Europe and
the document hold back the key motives of H. Dink’s murder. H. Dink
believed that acknowledgement of Armenian Genocide will lead Turkey
to the road of true democracy and integration into Europe. This is
what they didn’t forgive him," A. Rustamyan said.

Netherlands MP Tiny Kox said that after H. Dink’s murder, an article
was published in Turkey headed "They Killed Turkey," which – by Mr.

Kox’s opinion, shows that the murder had ethnical grounds. He said
that H. Dink was a super tolerant person but he was not tolerated. H.

Dink and his family lived under threats and H. Dink appealed to the
European Court and said he lived in hell. But he didn’t leave the
hell in order to turn it into haven.

Erol Aslan Cebeci, Turkish MP, said that he shares the worries about
threats, persecution and murders of journalists. "Death of H. Dink,
who was dedicated to promoting democracy, tolerance and mutual respect,
set pain in our hearts. We condemn this murder as well as murders in
other countries of the world," the Turkish MP pointed out.

Assassins are not punished these days. Nowadays, journalists have
more chances to die from a hired assassin rather than in a fight.

"Freedom of speech is not only an independent right of a state.

Countries should guarantee practice of the freedom. Freedom of speech
and Mass Media is the ground of civil society. This is the 4th power,"
he concluded.

French MP Jean-Francois Le Grand pointed out that the countries where
journalists are murdered demonstrate that the countries doubt in
themselves and their democracy. They don’t want to respond for their
actions and thus they condemn themselves. Attacks on journalists should
be reflected upon at once and not post factum. Council of Europe will
pass a powerful signal on non-admittance of non-tolerance and will
ratify the resolution.

Note: 610 journalists have been killed in the world since 1992.