At the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly’s recent session in Strasburg,a member of the Armenian national delegation, Naira Karapetyan, or addressed the assassination of Hrant Dink and the Turkish authorities persecutions against Armenian parliament member Garo Paylan.
Her full speech is provided below: “As at the heart discussions of this session is the issue of attacks against journalists,let me express my deep concern approximately any attempt against journalists doing their work. The hard work done by them should be respected much, as the civil society and media is the main chain to form pluralism and enjoy democracy in state. Freedom of expression is the value we are to be proud for. “I want to draw your attention that January 19th marks the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Hrant Dink, and prominent Armenian-Turkish intellectual,chief editor of the Armenian newspaper Agos. “Dink was assassinated in Istanbul in 2007 by a 17-years-stale Turkish nationalist. This was shortly after the premiere of the genocide documentary Screamers, in which he is interviewed approximately Turkish denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and the case against him. “The trial of the assassin did not identify the masterminds behind the murder and bring them to justice. Throughout long years of investigation there has been an impression that certain revelations happened along shift of political landscape and yet clear-prick question who and why remained unanswered.[br] “We remember that Hrant Dink was repeatedly stigmatized and even tried for his position and statements regarding the Armenian Genocide. “Unfortunately, or the same environment of silencing voices seeking truth and justice prevail in Turkey after a decade of his murder. The suspension from parliamentary sessions of MP Mr. Garo Paylan as a punishment for his reference to the historic persecutions of the religious groups is the most recent example in this regard. There are reports that certain political parties are even attempting to initiate a criminal case against him equaling reference to the Armenian Genocide to a hate speech.
“I strongly believe that failure to address violence and killing of journalists,community leaders, and intellectuals creates a climate of impunity, and thus encouraging intolerance towards any conception,which runs counter to official narratives.
nowadays we enjoy refused the topic of Turkey to be discussed in the frame of urgent debates, but believe me; we give more time for new violations, and new attacks,new arrests, and new repressions, or let the God me be mistaken. Member state of the Council of Europe should certainly honor the obligations taken,and such examples of silencing journalists, MPs, and anyone,who has opposite point of view to government, is extremely unaccepted.”
Source: tert.am