REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS AND ANCC CONDEMNED PROSECUTION OF HRANT DINK’S SON

Yerkir.am
June 22, 2007

Reporters Without Borders have condemned the decision to prosecute
Arat Dink, the son of assassinated Agos weekly editor-in-chief Hrant
Dink, and his colleagues.

"Once again we have to denounce the use of article 301 of the criminal
code, which is a threat to freedom of expression," said Reporters
Without Borders.

For its part, the Armenian National Committee of Canada (ANCC) called
on the Canadian Government and the international community to declare
Turkey a pariah nation and to take serious measures to force Turkey
to acknowledge its predecessors’ crimes against humanity.

"Canada, the United Nations, the European Union, and other
international organizations and fora should stop treating Turkey with
kid gloves and should hold Turkey accountable," said ANCC executive
director Aris Babikian.

"Furthermore, article 301 is an impediment to freedom of expression. It
is intended to silence dissidents who dare to challenge the official
line of the Turkish Government on the Armenian Genocide. The civilized
world can not become an accomplice to Genocide denial and in fomenting
intolerance, hatred and xenophobia," said Babikian.

The ANCC executive director concluded his comments by drawing to the
attention of politicians, the media and the public that the charges
against Agos journalists are a "clear manifestation that the Turkish
Government is not sincere in its so-called offers of dialogue and
reconciliation with the Armenian people.

These political maneuverings are nothing more than public relations
stunts and diversions to avoid addressing the real issue between the
two nations," the ANCC said.

Arat Dink and three of his colleagues at weekly have been charged with
"denigrating Turkishness," under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code.

The Istanbul prosecutor office has charged the Agos staff for
publishing, on July 2006, an interview with the Reuters news agency,
in which late Hrant Dink had referred to the 1915 Armenian Genocide.

Dink’s family lawyer, Erdal Dogal, has also been charged.

During last Thursday’s hearing the Turkish prosecutors called for a
prison sentence of up to three years for Arat Dink.

Hrant Dink also stood trial under the notorious article 301 and was
handed a 6-month suspended sentence. He was gunned down January 19,
2007 in Istandul by 17-year-old national Ogun Samast.