GREEN MEPS CONDEMN CONVICTION OF TURKISH JOURNALISTS IN DINK CASE

ABHaber, Belgium
EU-Turkey News Network
Oct 11 2007

Turkish-Armenian Journalists Saris Seropyan and Arat Dink (son of
assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink) were sentenced
today under the infamous Turkish article 301 for insulting Turkish
national identity. Commenting on the decision, Green MEPs Joost
Lagendijk,chair of the EP Turkey delegation, and Cem Ozdemir, member
of the EP Foreign Affairs committee, said:

"As friends of Turkey we strongly condemn this latest judgement,
which is a slap in the face to Turkey’s democratic credentials.

Article 301 is a violation of the freedom of expression in Turkey.

The AKP has repeatedly restated its commitment to democratic reforms;
nothing should be given higher priority than the repeal of this
archaic law."

Turkish-Armenian journalists Saris Seropyan and Arat Dink (son of
assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink) were given a
one year suspended sentence for violation of article 301: insulting
Turkishness. The conviction is the result of the publication of part
of an interview with Hrant Dink in the weekly newspaper AGOS in 2006
in which Hrant Dink discussed the Armenian genocide in Turkey and
advocated a repeal of article 301. The charges against Hrant Dink
were dropped following his assassination earlier this year.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress