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Hurriyet Daily News, Turkey
Sept 19 2010
Hrant for ever
Sunday, September 19, 2010
JOOST LAGENDIJK
Last week there was no escape. Hrant Dink dominated the
post-referendum news. First, the European Court of Human Rights, or
ECHR, delivered its damning verdict in the Dink versus Turkey case.
The same day, Tuba Çandar presented her book `Hrant' and one day
later, on Sept. 15, his family and friends met to celebrate his
birthday and to witness the presentation of the 2010 International
Hrant Dink Awards.
The award ceremony was impressive, for several reasons. Together with
Jan. 19, the day he was killed, it has become one of the two moments
each year to commemorate his murder in 2007. Of course there was
sadness, in the minds of those present, in the genes of the meeting.
Sorrow about the loss of this remarkable person and frustration
because of the fact that his ongoing murder trial seems to be leading
nowhere. At the same time, there is the conviction that he will not be
forgotten and the determination to preserve the spirit of his fights
for ideals and his capacity to encourage others. This year was the
second time that the awards were presented. The domestic price went to
the movement of conscientious objectors in Turkey, a small but growing
organization of people who refuse to serve in the Turkish army. Faced
with persecution, conviction and torture, fighting an uphill struggle
for better treatment and new regulations for conscientious objectors.
The second award winner was Baltasar Garzon, the Spanish judge who
became famous around the world because of his efforts to bring the
Chilean junta leader Pinochet and Argentine military officers
responsible for the killing of thousands of civilians during the
1976-1983 dictatorship to court. After he initiated an investigation
into crimes committed during the Franco regime in Spain, a case was
opened against him and at the moment he is still suspended from his
duties. Garzon is a living example of the many courageous people
around the globe who take personal risks to work for a better world.
The awards are there to show that they are not alone and to motivate
everyone to fight for their ideals, using the language of peace.
That is exactly what Hrant was so good at. One is reminded of that
special quality when reading Tuba Çandar's book. The author has not
tried to write a classic biography. What she did was gather hundreds
of recollections and impressions from people who knew Hrant and
combine them with fragments from articles and speeches by Hrant
himself. The result is a rich mosaic that superbly manages to bring to
life the many facets of Hrant: from the leftist, activist and defender
of Armenian rights to the tender friend and the haunted citizen.
The many mistakes made by the Turkish state in dealing with Hrant were
all unveiled in the ECHR judgment. Turkey was found guilty on all
counts, which includes violation of `the right to life' and freedom of
expression. The court also found that Turkey has not managed to
investigate and prosecute those responsible for these failures, a
breach of duties that continues till this day because of the way the
case against Hrant's murderers has been mishandled. In fact, the ECHR
has ordered Turkey to carry out a new and effective investigation into
the role of state officials connected with the case. That is good news
for the Dink family and their lawyers, who almost lost faith in the
possibility of upholding the law.
The Turkish state will pay financial compensation. But that should
only be the start of a fundamental revision of policy that should,
first and foremost, aim to remove the obstacles standing in the way of
trying all those responsible for Hrant's murder. In the long run
though, this is not enough. The ideology that led Turkish courts to
deliberately distort Hrant's statements, thereby making him a target
for ultranationalist groups, has to be skipped from the books and the
minds of the Turkish judiciary. The same goes for all those articles
restricting freedom of expression that still exist in several laws.
Only by carrying out these vital reforms, will the Turkish state be
able to comply with the legal obligations coming from Europe and with
the moral imperatives related to Hrant's death.
The 2010 awards show that Hrant's spirit is alive in the actions of
others, all around the world, and in the minds of those who worked
with him. Let's hope last week's events will also lead to the
redrafting of the state policies that victimized Hrant and so many
others in Turkey. Only then will his legacy be complete.
From: A. Papazian
Sept 19 2010
Hrant for ever
Sunday, September 19, 2010
JOOST LAGENDIJK
Last week there was no escape. Hrant Dink dominated the
post-referendum news. First, the European Court of Human Rights, or
ECHR, delivered its damning verdict in the Dink versus Turkey case.
The same day, Tuba Çandar presented her book `Hrant' and one day
later, on Sept. 15, his family and friends met to celebrate his
birthday and to witness the presentation of the 2010 International
Hrant Dink Awards.
The award ceremony was impressive, for several reasons. Together with
Jan. 19, the day he was killed, it has become one of the two moments
each year to commemorate his murder in 2007. Of course there was
sadness, in the minds of those present, in the genes of the meeting.
Sorrow about the loss of this remarkable person and frustration
because of the fact that his ongoing murder trial seems to be leading
nowhere. At the same time, there is the conviction that he will not be
forgotten and the determination to preserve the spirit of his fights
for ideals and his capacity to encourage others. This year was the
second time that the awards were presented. The domestic price went to
the movement of conscientious objectors in Turkey, a small but growing
organization of people who refuse to serve in the Turkish army. Faced
with persecution, conviction and torture, fighting an uphill struggle
for better treatment and new regulations for conscientious objectors.
The second award winner was Baltasar Garzon, the Spanish judge who
became famous around the world because of his efforts to bring the
Chilean junta leader Pinochet and Argentine military officers
responsible for the killing of thousands of civilians during the
1976-1983 dictatorship to court. After he initiated an investigation
into crimes committed during the Franco regime in Spain, a case was
opened against him and at the moment he is still suspended from his
duties. Garzon is a living example of the many courageous people
around the globe who take personal risks to work for a better world.
The awards are there to show that they are not alone and to motivate
everyone to fight for their ideals, using the language of peace.
That is exactly what Hrant was so good at. One is reminded of that
special quality when reading Tuba Çandar's book. The author has not
tried to write a classic biography. What she did was gather hundreds
of recollections and impressions from people who knew Hrant and
combine them with fragments from articles and speeches by Hrant
himself. The result is a rich mosaic that superbly manages to bring to
life the many facets of Hrant: from the leftist, activist and defender
of Armenian rights to the tender friend and the haunted citizen.
The many mistakes made by the Turkish state in dealing with Hrant were
all unveiled in the ECHR judgment. Turkey was found guilty on all
counts, which includes violation of `the right to life' and freedom of
expression. The court also found that Turkey has not managed to
investigate and prosecute those responsible for these failures, a
breach of duties that continues till this day because of the way the
case against Hrant's murderers has been mishandled. In fact, the ECHR
has ordered Turkey to carry out a new and effective investigation into
the role of state officials connected with the case. That is good news
for the Dink family and their lawyers, who almost lost faith in the
possibility of upholding the law.
The Turkish state will pay financial compensation. But that should
only be the start of a fundamental revision of policy that should,
first and foremost, aim to remove the obstacles standing in the way of
trying all those responsible for Hrant's murder. In the long run
though, this is not enough. The ideology that led Turkish courts to
deliberately distort Hrant's statements, thereby making him a target
for ultranationalist groups, has to be skipped from the books and the
minds of the Turkish judiciary. The same goes for all those articles
restricting freedom of expression that still exist in several laws.
Only by carrying out these vital reforms, will the Turkish state be
able to comply with the legal obligations coming from Europe and with
the moral imperatives related to Hrant's death.
The 2010 awards show that Hrant's spirit is alive in the actions of
others, all around the world, and in the minds of those who worked
with him. Let's hope last week's events will also lead to the
redrafting of the state policies that victimized Hrant and so many
others in Turkey. Only then will his legacy be complete.
From: A. Papazian