NATIONAL ASSEMBLY STATEMENT OVER DINK’S KILLING

Yerkir.am
February 09, 2007

Armenian National Assembly adopted a statement on February 8 in
connection with the assassination of Hrant Dink. The following is
the text of the statement.

National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia strongly condemns the
assassination of Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of the Agos weekly,
and considers it a crime against the free speech, human rights and
Armenian minority.

Expressing its outrage, the National Assembly states that this crime
perpetrated by the Turkish nationalistic circles has deep roots because
the hatred and anti-Armenian campaign. The denial of its history and
the campaign against the recognition of the Armenian Genocide of 1915
by the Turkish authorities, as well as the unleashing of criminal
harassment against intellectuals who raise the issue, gave birth to
this crime in an attempt to silence the voice of freedom.

Meanwhile, we voice our concern over the recent developments that
followed this violent crime. The public outrage that followed Dink’s
murder is now replaced with an opposite tendency – the Turkish
nationalism, hatred, the making of a hero from a criminal, resulting
in new wave of threats against Dink’s paper, people with free thinking
and the Armenians in general.

Also, concerning are the revelations that the law enforcement agencies
were informed beforehand about the assassination attempt but had done
nothing to prevent it. It is essential to completely solve this crime,
including finding out those who have ordered the assassination.

The National Assembly states that this assassination indicates that
in order to establish an environement of understanding between the
two nations, the Turkish authorieites should face its history and
recognize the 1915 Armenian Genocide as well as heed the international
community’s calls to remove Article 301 of the Penal Code that violates
free speech and results in crimes like this.

Faction of the Republican Party of Armenia Ardarutyun faction Faction
of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Faction of the National
Unity party Faction of the United Labor Party People’s Deputy group
Businessmen group.