EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS ALERTED ON RAGIP ZARAKOLU CONDEMNATION

armradio.am
22.07.2008 12:30

The European Armenian Federation recently alerted the European
Commission on the condemnation of the Turkish dissident Ragip
Zarakolu in virtue of the Turkish Penal Code 301 article and the
new violation of principles of freedom and democracy (that this case
constitutes). The Federation reminds that these principles are supposed
to constitute a prerequisite for Turkey’s EU accession.

In the letter sent to the Commissioner for Enlargement, Mr Olli
Rehn, the organisation for the defence of Human Rights reminds
that M. Zarakolu’s "crime" simply consisted in editing the Turkish
translation of a book evoking the Armenian genocide. The Federation
is worried, because Mr.

Zarakolu’s condemnation has not triggered any reaction from the
European Commission, quite the contrary, by opening 2 new chapters
with Turkey on the same day, the Commission sent to this country a
political message "which strengthens the idea of the inanity of the
European values and of the pointlessness of any effort in this regard".

Reminding the Commission of her own prerequisites for EU accession, and
specifically ‘in case of grand and continuous violations in Turkey of
the principles of democracy, human rights and basic freedoms, exactly
those values on which the European Union is based, the Commission
has the right to halt all ne gotiations." The European Armenian
Federation calls on to the European Commission to "grant Turkey a
period of six months, to totally review the bulk of the liberticidal
legislation.’ Taking into account the ‘credibility of the Union’,
‘the Commission herself has to suggest to the Council to cease the
negotiations process in December 2008’.

In parallel, the European Armenian Federation has also informed
the Council of Europe’s representative for Human Rights, Mr. Thomas
Hammarberg about the Zarakolu case. In the letter is mentioned that
Mr. Zarakolu is a fighter for Human Rights in Turkey and that ‘in his
country he is fighting for Human Rights and against dogmas’, like
racism, glorification of militarism and the denial of the Armenian
Genocide. The Federation expresses her worries about the conviction,
and notes that ‘it’s symbolic for encouraging the suppression of
freedom of speech and the denial of the genocide in Turkey’.

The letter of the Armenian European Federation sent to Mr. Hammarberg
notes that OSCE’s representative for freedom of press Mr. Harartzi, Mr.

McSheyn and other prominent members of the Council of Europe’s
Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) have condemned, both the trial and
the conviction.’

The Federation calls on Mr. Hammamberg to defend and assist the
convicted dissident, ‘exactly in accord to his duties, to defe nd
and assist the defenders of Human Rights’ and naturally ‘persuade
the Turkish judiciary to re assess their stance on Human Rights in
the country".

"After Hrand Dinks’s assassination, after the Ergenekon paramilitary
criminal organization, Zarakolu’s conviction proves that the country
is not ready. After these proofs, PACE has to adopt a resolution to
restart the monitoring of this country’, announced Laurent Leyliekian,
Executive Director of the European Armenian Federation. "The European
Commission has to suggest a moratorium on the process and find the
right and effective mechanisms for protection and surveillance of
the freedom of speech and human rights in Turkey’, concluded Laurent
Leylekian.