WASHINGTON — A congressional resolution condemning the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink (H. Res.102) continues to gain strength, as five House Members added their support to the measure in recent days.
Within the course of a week, Congressmen Jerry F. Costello (D-IL), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Ed Royce (R-CA), and Paul Ryan (R-WI) joined the growing list of cosponsors, bringing the total number of supporters to 49.
A human rights defender, Dink was prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish penal code for his writings on the Armenian Genocide. He was murdered on January 19, 2007 in broad daylight outside of his office at Agos newspaper in Istanbul, Turkey.
To mark the one-year anniversary of his death, Representatives Joe Baca (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Scott Garrett (R-NJ), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ed Royce (R-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) made statements before Congress expressing their remorse and reiterating the importance of acknowledging the truth of the Armenian Genocide.
“Hrant Dink was a man who called for tolerance, peaceful dialogue and greater civil rights for all Turkish citizens. He was
a fierce defender of freedom and believed all people have equal rights under the law,” said Crowley, who introduced H. Res. 102 shortly after Dink’s murder. “I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring the memory of Hrant Dink and continue to urge the repeal of Article 301.”
“In order to uphold our democratic values, it is imperative that America demonstrates its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms to the rest of the world,” said Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny. “Article 301 is part and parcel with Turkey’s ongoing campaign to deny the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide. We will continue to push for passage of H. Res. 102.”
