Burbank Leader, CA
Jan 27 2007

Legislators honor murdered journalist

Rep. Adam Schiff, state Sen. Jack Scott and Assemblyman Paul
Krekorian mourned the loss of Turkey’s most outspoken Armenian
journalist, Hrant Dink, who was shot to death on Jan. 19 outside of
his newspaper’s office in Istanbul.

Both houses of the California State Legislature adjourned in memory
of the journalist Thursday. The Glendale City Council adjourned its
Tuesday meeting in honor of Dink.

Schiff, who met Dink in 2003 during a trip to Turkey to discuss
Armenian genocide recognition and free-press issues there, said
Dink’s passing is a great loss for those who cherish free speech.

"The silencing of such a prominent and outspoken voice is not only a
personal tragedy," Schiff said in a statement. "It is also a tragedy
for those who believe in a free and unfettered press, and for those
who are committed to a thoughtful examination of the past."

Dink had the courage to challenge his government’s suppression of
dissent, women and ethnic rights, Krekorian said.

"Mr. Dink was a courageous and outspoken champion of these values who
fearlessly spoke truth to power and challenged those who would revise
history," Krekorian said. "He was a clarion voice of dissent who
demanded freedom and gave hope to all people struggling under the
yoke of tyranny and oppression in Turkey and throughout the world."

State Sen. Jack Scott also mourned the journalist’s death.

"In the historic struggle of all nations for freedom of speech, this
man died for his ideas and his ideals," Scott said. "His death has
led to an outcry from around the world by those who believe in the
freedom to speak the truth."

Dink was the editor in chief of the bilingual Armenian and Turkish
newspaper Agos. He was given a shortened six-week sentence in October
2005 in Turkey after being convicted for inciting racial tension and
denouncing a Turkish historical figure in one of his articles. He was
awaiting another trial, which was scheduled for March.