Fighting 301
Just noticed that there is a new petition online targeting Turkey’s Article 301. Below is the text: Arat Dink, Serkis Seropyan, Karin Karakashli, Aydin Engin, all members of the staff of “Agos” weekly in Istanbul, and Erdal Dogal, the Dink family lawyer, are charged with “denigrating Turkishness” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. Some of them may face three years of incarceration if convicted. The pretext is the publication of an old interview with the Reuters News Agency in which the late assassinated Hrant Dink made reference to the Genocide of the Armenians.Renowned writers, scholars and journalists such as Orhan Pamuk, Elif Shafak, Taner Akçam, Ragip Zarakolu and others were charged with similar criminal offences over the last while. Some of them have chosen self-exile and are now living in Europe, the United States and elsewhere for fear of their own lives and avoiding the destiny that the late Hrant Dink faced.We, the undersigned, strongly protest against the disdainful use of article 301 of the Penal Code. Its application has proven to be an abhorrent violation of the exercise of freedom of expression and thought. Internationally it has brought nothing but scorn, and locally it has fomented an atmosphere of hatred and xenophobia. It is a painful reminder of the disingenuous call of the Turkish authorities to have a mixed commission of historians to study the past.In solidarity with scholars, artists, journalists, human rights activists who seek freedom of expression and thought, we call upon the Turkish authorities to scrap the Draconian article once and for all.
2 Responses to “Fighting 301”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Ashamed on 07 Jul 2007 at 8:04 am #
C’mon Blogian, how do you expect me to read the black on black, unless you don’t want us to read a law that causes so much ….
Or was it intentional ?
Blogian on 07 Jul 2007 at 9:35 pm #
You select the text with the mouse, it will become white. For some reason it wouldn’t get posted with white letters.