ARMENIAN ASSEMBLY OF AMERICA TO HONOR HRANT DINK’S LEGACY AT 35TH ANNIVERSARY GALA IN CALIFORNIA
Public Radio of Armenia. ArmRadio
Sept 25 2007
The Armenian Assembly of America announces that Rakel Dink will accept
the Assembly’s Distinguished Humanitarian Award on behalf of her late
husband, Hrant Dink, during the Assembly’s 35th Anniversary Gala on
November 3 in Beverly Hills, California.
One of the most prominent figures of the Armenian community in Turkey,
Dink was gunned down in broad daylight outside his Istanbul office
on January 19th, in what was a blatant political assassination. A
man of conviction and principle, Dink worked tirelessly to build
bridges between Armenians and Turks through tolerance, goodwill, and
dialogue. In 1996, he founded the bilingual Agos weekly newspapers
to create a bridge to foster understanding between Armenians and Turks.
While his work earned him widespread recognition and numerous
international awards, he was frequently and unfairly targeted by
Turkish nationalists who labeled him a "traitor" for his public
statements on the Armenian Genocide. Dink was one of many (including
2006 Nobel Prize laureate in literature Orhan Pamuk) to be charged and
prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which muzzles
the press, encourages genocide denial, and creates an atmosphere of
intolerance. Dink himself stood trial several times for his public
comments on the genocide and was convicted in October 2005 for
"insulting Turkishness" under the much-criticized law. He received a
six-month suspended sentence and was set to appear in court again in
March 2007 for telling a foreign journalist that the events of 1915
constituted genocide.
"Hrant Dink believed passionately in the freedom of speech, and was
determined, above all to serve as a catalyst for mutual understanding
between Turks and Armenians," said Assembly Board of Trustees Chairman
Hirair Hovnanian. "We are honored that Rakel will join us as we
pay tribute to her husband Hrant – an exceptional human being and
civil rights advocate who will always be remembered for his strong
leadership and commitment to peaceful change."
The Assembly’s Distinguished Humanitarian Award was previously
presented to human rights activist Kathryn Cameron Porter.