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PRESS RELEASE
Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden
Stockholm, January 20, 2014
[email protected]
www.armeniska.se
2014 Commemoration of Hrant Dink
The seventh commemoration ceremony of the murdered Armenian journalist and
editor Hrant Dink was held in Stockholm, Sweden. The commemoration event
was jointly arranged by the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden,
Swedish Support Committee for Human Rights in Turkey, ABF Stockholm,
Swedish Journalist Association and Swedish PEN.
The list of speakers included representatives for the arranging
organisations, among others, Chairperson of the Union of Kurdish
Associations in Sweden, Shermin Bozarslan, Member of Riksdag, Jacob
Johnson (Chairman of the Swedish Support Committee for Human Rights in
Turkey), Pär Trehörning, Swedish Journalist Association and Swedish PEN
International Secretary, Ola Wallin, who all stressed the alarming
situation in Turkey in regard to the situation of journalists and the
freedom of speech. The newly appointed Armenian Ambassador to Sweden, Mr.
Artak Apitonian resembled Hrant Dink to a bridge between the two nations
of Turkey and Armenia in the reconciliatory work which Dink tried to
promote.
The recently Sweden-arrived Turkish editor and human right activist Mr.
Ragip Zarakolu remembered the friend and the brother he had lost, but said
that to him Hrant is still alive and will continue to be so. Mr. Zarakolu,
himself persecuted much alike Dink for his advocacy about the need for
Turkey to face the reality of the Armenian Genocide as well as the issues
of human rights and freedom of speech in Turkey, is currently a guest of
the Swedish city of Sigtuna as its first guest writer since the city
joined ICORN (International Cities of Refuge Network) in 2012.
The Spokesperson of the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden, Vahagn
Avedian, stressed that, even though the main burden of reforms lies with
Turkey, it is the failure of the international community which has
resulted in the fact that we are holding the same speeches to Dink's
memory during the past seven years. Human Right issues have simply been
swept aside when Sweden, EU, USA and other countries negotiate EU
membership with Turkey or sign trade contracts. Jacob Johnson pointed out
that fulfilling the Copenhagen Criteria was a precondition to even
starting the EU-negotiations, which however Turkey is far from being
compliant to.
Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden
Stockholm, January 20, 2014
[email protected]
www.armeniska.se
2014 Commemoration of Hrant Dink
The seventh commemoration ceremony of the murdered Armenian journalist and
editor Hrant Dink was held in Stockholm, Sweden. The commemoration event
was jointly arranged by the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden,
Swedish Support Committee for Human Rights in Turkey, ABF Stockholm,
Swedish Journalist Association and Swedish PEN.
The list of speakers included representatives for the arranging
organisations, among others, Chairperson of the Union of Kurdish
Associations in Sweden, Shermin Bozarslan, Member of Riksdag, Jacob
Johnson (Chairman of the Swedish Support Committee for Human Rights in
Turkey), Pär Trehörning, Swedish Journalist Association and Swedish PEN
International Secretary, Ola Wallin, who all stressed the alarming
situation in Turkey in regard to the situation of journalists and the
freedom of speech. The newly appointed Armenian Ambassador to Sweden, Mr.
Artak Apitonian resembled Hrant Dink to a bridge between the two nations
of Turkey and Armenia in the reconciliatory work which Dink tried to
promote.
The recently Sweden-arrived Turkish editor and human right activist Mr.
Ragip Zarakolu remembered the friend and the brother he had lost, but said
that to him Hrant is still alive and will continue to be so. Mr. Zarakolu,
himself persecuted much alike Dink for his advocacy about the need for
Turkey to face the reality of the Armenian Genocide as well as the issues
of human rights and freedom of speech in Turkey, is currently a guest of
the Swedish city of Sigtuna as its first guest writer since the city
joined ICORN (International Cities of Refuge Network) in 2012.
The Spokesperson of the Union of Armenian Associations in Sweden, Vahagn
Avedian, stressed that, even though the main burden of reforms lies with
Turkey, it is the failure of the international community which has
resulted in the fact that we are holding the same speeches to Dink's
memory during the past seven years. Human Right issues have simply been
swept aside when Sweden, EU, USA and other countries negotiate EU
membership with Turkey or sign trade contracts. Jacob Johnson pointed out
that fulfilling the Copenhagen Criteria was a precondition to even
starting the EU-negotiations, which however Turkey is far from being
compliant to.