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Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News
Action Alert : Free Father Yusuf Akbulut Sub-committee
by Free Father Yusuf Akbulut Sub-committee
Posted: Monday, December 11, 2000 02:23 am CST
FREE FATHER YUSUF AKBULUT SUBCOMMITTEE
- Apply International Media pressure on the Turkish Government in order to free Father Yusuf Akbulut.
ACT QUICKLY: COURT DATE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21st.
Status:
Fr. Yusuf, now under house arrest, is charged with the notorious Clause 2 of Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code, which prohibits the fomenting among the peoples of Turkey racial, religious animosities, in an upcoming December 21, 2000 trial.
Fr. Yusuf Akbulut was non violently exercising his right to not only express his own beliefs, but for also expressing historically documented fact, and is detained for expressing his beliefs contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Your help and the help of all activists is urgently requested to focus the world's media attention on this trial. Please complete the Action below and forward this to all Armenian/Assyrian/Hellenic activists on your e-mail lists.
Action:
- E-mail, telephone, write to the local media in your city. For local media details, click on the link below. https://emedia1.mediainfo.com/
E-mail/Telephone/Letter/FAX Script for Media
Hello my name is ,
I'd like to inform you of an International story that may interest your television station/newspaper/radio station.
Father Yusuf Akbulut, an Assyrian priest, from St. Mary's Syrian Orthodox Church in Diyarbakir, Turkey, was recently arrested for freely expressing his beliefs in a non-violent manner, by the Turkish authorities. According to a Reuters report from Oct. 5, 2000 , Fr. Yusuf was interviewed by reporters from the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, during deliberations in the U.S. Congress regarding HR 596, the Armenian Genocide Resolution.
Father Yusuf apparently affirmed the historical reality of the Armenain Genocide, as well as stating that the Assyrians were also victims of the same Genocide of 1915. Following the interview, the Hurriyet reporters printed an inflammatory article with a photograph of Fr. Yusuf holding a cross under the headline "A Traitor Amongst Us."
Fr. Yusuf, now under house arrest, is charged with the notorious Clause 2 of Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code, which prohibits the fomenting among the peoples of Turkey racial, religious animosities, in an upcoming December 21, 2000 trial.
Fr. Yusuf Akbulut was non violently exercising his right to not only express his own beliefs, but for also expressing historically documented fact, and is detained for expressing his beliefs contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Furthermore this trial's importance is magnified by the recent release of the European Parliament report on Turkey's progress towards accession. Point 29 in the report specifically states;
29. Views the recent decision by the Constitutional Court on the law offering a reprieve to those who have committed press offences as a step that reinforces the rule of law; encourages the competent authorities to take this opportunity to continue their reforms in this direction, knowing that this process will logically lead them to a fundamental reconsideration of Article 312 of the Penal Code;
This trial may become one of the key points that will lead to the rejection of Turkey's membership to the EU.
I hope your television station/newspaper/radio station can cover this important case and keep your viewers/readers/listeners informed.
Thank you for you time and consideration. Goodbye.
Background:
To learn more, visit the following media articles:
https://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20001127a.html
https://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20001124a.html
https://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20001119b.html
https://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20001009a.html
https://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20001005f.html
https://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20001204g.html
https://www.atour.com/~aahgn/news/20001122a.html
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