Dink was found guilty by Istanbul Sisli court on 7 October 2005 for penning an article where he allegedly committed the crime of thought of insulting "Turkish identity".
The sentence was given in spite that the court-appointed experts could not find a single instance of such insult in Hrant Dink's comments
The group of intellectuals who undersign the petition perceive the sentence against dink a "threat against the exercise of the freedom of expression and thought" as it "comes right after the lawsuit brought against Ragıp Zarakolu for publishing a book by Dora Sakayan."
"Another case in point is the recent sentence of six months' imprisonment and monetary punishment brought against Reşit Yardımcı, the deputy president of the DEHAP party city headquarters in Şanlıurfa, for uttering 'good day to you' in Kurdish during a public talk," they say.
The group concludes: "All these instances reveal not only the flaws in the new Turkish penal code, but also its recent exploitation by those within the Turkish state bureaucracy who choose not to protect but instead attack the legal rights of Turkish citizens.
"We should point out that such legal actions are destructive signs employed by some insecure segments of society that hide behind the power of the Turkish state to intimidate those who do not share their views; this intimidation they engage in then often escalates into populist hate campaigns that even result in death threats against individuals like Dink, Zarakolu, Yardımcı and Pamuk.
"We want to note that in the end, such legal actions only end up displaying to the world Turkish insecurity about the exercise of the freedom of expression and thought. Turkey and Turkish society have come too far and deserve better than be held hostage to such retrogressive authoritarian ploys.
"We strongly believe that the legal protection of the civil rights of all Turkish citizens ought to be defended vigilantly for only through such protection and defense will the Turkish democratization process continue unfettered." (EK/YE)
____________________________
The full list of the petitioners are:
Dikran J. Abrahamian M.D.
Physician
Ontario
CANADA
Arzu Acar
Librarian
Maltepe University
TURKEY
Hülya Adak
Professor
Sabancı University
TURKEY
Fikret Adanır
Professor
Ruhr Universitaet Bochum
GERMANY
Janet Afary
Professor
Purdue University
USA
Ayşe Akalın
Doctoral Student
CUNY Graduate Center
USA
Engin Deniz Akarlı
Professor
Brown University
USA
Bahar Yiğitalp Akça
Professor
Yıldız Technical University
TURKEY
İsmet Akça
Research Assistant
Yıldız Technical University
TURKEY
Taner Akçam
Professor
University of Minnesota
USA
Gregoire Akian
Journalist and Producer
FRANCE
İlker Aktükün
Assistant Professor
İstanbul University
TURKEY
Edward Alexander
Diplomat and Author
Washington, D.C.
USA
Danende Alpar
Graduate Student
Middle East Technical University
TURKEY
Şahin Alpay
Professor
Bahçeşehir University
TURKEY
Emin Alper
Doctoral Student
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Özlem Altan
Doctoral Student
New York University
USA
Ayşe Gül Altınay
Professor
Sabancı University
TURKEY
Janine Altounian
Essayiste and Traductrice
Paris
FRANCE
Seda Altuğ
Doctoral Student
Utrecht University
HOLLAND
Jo Andrews
Director
Sigrid Rausing Trust
London
ENGLAND
Richard Antaramian
Doctoral Student
University of Michigan
USA
François Antounian, M.D.
Surgeon
San Francisco
USA
Suzy Antounian, J.D.
San Francisco
USA
Sima Aprahamian
Professor
Concordia University
Montreal
CANADA
Aram Arkun
Historian
New York
USA
Anthony Arnove
Brooklyn, New York
USA
Arman Artuç
Doctoral Student
CUNY Graduate Center
USA
Fulya Atacan
Professor
Yıldız Technical University
TURKEY
Christopher Atamian
Writer and Filmmaker
New York
USA
Serge Avedikian
Comedien-Realisateur
Paris
FRANCE
Armen Avetisyan
Scholar
SWITZERLAND
Aris Babikian
Journalist and Member,
National Ethnic Press
And Media Council
CANADA
Ursula Baertl
Lawyer and Historian
PERU
Adil Baktiaya
Assistant Professor
İstanbul University
TURKEY
Peter Balakian
Professor
Colgate University
USA
Evren Balta
Doctoral Student
CUNY - Graduate Center
USA
Kevork Bardakjian
Professor
University of Michigan
USA
Elazar Barkan
Professor
City University of New York
USA
David Barsamian
Director
Alternate Radio
Boulder, Colorado
USA
Tina M. Bastajian
Filmmaker and Researcher
The University of Amsterdam
HOLLAND
Ece Baykal
Graduate Student
Galatasaray University
TURKEY
Seyhan Bayraktar
Doctoral Student
Universität Konstanz
GERMANY
Ulaş Bayraktar
Research Assistant
Mersin University
TURKEY
Şeyla Benhabib
Professor
Yale University
USA
Vanik Berberian
Gargilesse
FRANCE
Uğurhan Berkok
Professor
Queen's University
CANADA
Halil Berktay
Professor
Sabancı University
TURKEY
Melissa Bilal
Doctoral Student
University of Chicago
USA
Mücahit Bilici
Doctoral Student
University of Michigan
USA
Donald Bloxham
Professor
University of Edinburgh
ENGLAND
Paul Boghossian
Professor
New York University
USA
Aida Boudjikanian
Geographer
Montreal
CANADA
Hamit Bozarslan
Professor
Ecole des Hautes Etudes
en Sciences Sociale
FRANCE
Esat Bozyiğit
Doctoral Student
Galatasaray University
TURKEY
Georges Broussalian
Professor
FRANCE
Ebru Bulut
Doctoral Student
Ecole des Hautes Etudes
en Science Sociale
FRANCE
Carol Burns
Writer
London
USA
Eyüp Can
Editor-in-Chief
Referans Newspaper
TURKEY
Grant Captanian
Real Estate Executive
New York
USA
Vicken Cheterian
Journalist
Geneva
SWITZERLAND
Noam Chomsky
Professor
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
USA
Anthea Chronea
Postgraduate Student
University of London
ENGLAND
Benedetta Contin
Graduate Student
Ca' Foscari University
Venice
ITALY
Anahit Coşkun
Professor
Koç University
TURKEY
Maral Coşkun
İstanbul
TURKEY
Koray Çalışkan
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Aslı Çalkıvık
Doctoral Student
University of Minnesota
USA
Zeynep Çatay
Professor
İstanbul Bilgi University
TURKEY
Balca Çelener
Doctoral Student
University Paris 1
Pantheon Sorbonne
FRANCE
Y. Doğan Çetinkaya
Doctoral Student
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Ela Çil
Professor
Yıldız Technical University
TURKEY
Ayça Çubukçu
Doctoral Student
Columbia University
TURKEY
Vahakn Dadrian
Historian
Zoryan Institute
USA
Umud Karaca Dalgıç
Doctoral Student
Northwestern University
USA
Touraj Daryaee
Professor
California State University, Fullerton
USA
Anahit Dasseaux Ter-Mesropian
Psychoanalyst
FRANCE
Sevan Demirjian
Graphic Designer
Paris
FRANCE
Derya Demirler
Program Assistant
(TESEV) Turkish Economic
Social Studies Foundation
TURKEY
Ani Değirmencioğlu
Graduate Student
Sabancı University
TURKEY
Bedross Der Matossian
Doctoral Student
Columbia University
USA
Khatchik Derghoukassian
Universidad de San Andes
ARGENTINA
Yves Dermenjıan
Professor
Universite de Provence
Marseille
FRANCE
Saro Devrenyan
Caroline Devrenyan
Karabet Devrenyan
Gangy
FRANCE
Teun van Dijk
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Barcelona
SPAIN
Caner Doğan
Doctoral Student
State University of New York
Birmingham
USA
Anaid Donabendian
Professor
Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales
FRANCE
Denis Donikian
Writer and Editor
www.yevrobatsi.org
Anıl Duman
Doctoral Student
University of Massachusetts
Amherst
USA
Raymond Duvall
Professor
University of Minnesota
USA
Fuat Dündar
Doctoral Student
Ecole des Hautes Etudes
en Sciences Sociales
FRANCE
Hillary Earl
Professor
Nipissing University
CANADA
Carole Laura Ecuer
Association Chiche
Marseilles
FRANCE
Atom Egoyan
Film Director and Producer
CANADA
Howard Eissenstat
Lecturer
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
USA
Lerna Ekmekçioğlu
Doctoral Student
New York University
USA
Ayda Erbal
Doctoral Student
New York University
USA
Aylin Eren
Graduate Student
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Deniz Erkmen
Doctoral Student
University of Michigan
USA
Barış Erten
TURKEY
Yaman Ömer Erzurumlu
Student
University of Central Florida
USA
Nüket Esen
Professor
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Stephen Feinstein
Professor
Center for Holocaust and
Genocide Studies
University of Minnesota
USA
Aldo Ferrari
Ca' Foscari University
Venice
ITALY
Begüm Özden Fırat
Doctoral Student
Amsterdam School for
Cultural Analysis
HOLLAND
Andrew Finkel
Journalist
London
ENGLAND
Caroline Finkel
Historian
London
ENGLAND
Louis Fishman
Professor
Carleton College
USA
Marcello Flores
Professor
University of Siena
ITALY
Maureen Freely
Lecturer
University of Warwick
ENGLAND
Zeynep Gambetti
Professor
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Keith Garebian
Writer
Toronto
CANADA
David Gaunt
Professor
Södentörn University College
SWEDEN
Mark Gavoor
Corporate Executive
Connecticut
USA
Sandra Geelhoed
Researcher
Ecole des Hautes Etudes
en Sciences Sociales
Paris
FRANCE
Herve Georgelin
Historian
Paris
FRANCE
Burçin Gerçek
Journalist
İstanbul
TURKEY
Angelos Giannakopoulos
Lecturer and Research Assistant
University of Konstanz
GERMANY
Lynee Gildensoph
Professor
The College of St. Catherine
USA
Fatma Müge Göçek
Professor
University of Michigan
USA
Şule Gökçenay
Researcher
Yıldız Technical University
TURKEY
Özgür Gökmen
Doctoral Student
Universiteit Leiden
HOLLAND
Gerard Grigorian, M.D.
Medecin Nephrologue
Toulon
FRANCE
Fırat Güllü
Actor
TURKEY
Ayşe Günaysu
Human Rights Association of Turkey, İstanbul Branch;
Member of the Commission Against
Racism and Discrimination
TURKEY
Ali Güngör
Economist
Arlington, Virginia
USA
Azat Güven
Special Student Assistant
Victoria
CANADA
Dilek Güven
Historian
Ruhr Universitaet Bochum
GERMANY
Thea Halo
Author
USA
Alex Hammerslough
Student
Michigan
USA
Elmon Hançer
Professor
İstanbul Technical University
TURKEY
Hripsime Haroutinian
Lecturer
University of Chicago
USA
Dr. Claude Hatchikian
Directeur de Recherche au
CNRS (Centre National de la
Recherche Scientifique)
Marseille
FRANCE
Roger Heacock
Professor
Bir Zeit University
PALESTINE
Susan Hitch
Broadcaster
London
ENGLAND
Tessa Hofmann
Professor
Freie Universitaet Berlin
GERMANY
Carl Holtman
Editor
SteelOrbis
Istanbul
TURKEY
Ayşe Hür
Researcher
İstanbul
TURKEY
Armine Ishkanian
Lecturer
London School of Economıcs
ENGLAND
Güven İncirlioğlu
Professor
Yıldız Technical University
TURKEY
Ayşe Kadıoğlu
Visiting Professor
Oxford University
ENGLAND
Hasan Bülent Kahraman
Visiting Professor
Princeton University
USA
Isaac Kamola
Doctoral Student
University of Minnesota
USA
Susan Kang
Graduate Student
USA
Banu Karaca
Doctoral Student
CUNY Graduate Center
USA
Karin Karakaşlı
Writer
TURKEY
Özlem Karakaya
Gradute Student
Middle East Technical University
TURKEY
Olgu Karan
Doctoral Student
Middle East Technical University
Ankara
TURKEY
Michael Kennedy
Professor
University of Michigan
USA
Ferhat Kentel
Professor
İstanbul Bilgi University
TURKEY
Hanna Can Kerkini
Scholar
Minnesota
USA
Arsinee Khanjian
Actress
CANADA
Ohannes Kılıçdağı
Doctoral Student
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Sema Kılıçer
Helsinki Citizens Assembly
Ankara
TURKEY
Hans-Lukas Kieser
Visiting Professor
University of Bamberg
GERMANY
Kole Kilibarda
Researcher
Toronot
CANADA
Brenda Knapp
Graduate Student
University of Essex
ENGLAND
Kader Konuk
Professor
University of Michigan
USA
Rober Koptaş
Editor-in-Chief
Aras Publications
İstanbul
TURKEY
Asbed Kotchikian
Lecturer
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
USA
Dickran Kouymjian
Professor
California State University,
Fresno
USA
Erol Köroğlu
Post Doctoral Fellow
Sabancı University
TURKEY
Firuz Kutal
Graphic Designer
and Illustrator
Oslo
NORWAY
Zeynep Kutluata
Graduate Student
Sabancı University
TURKEY
Michèle Lardy
Maître de Conférences
Université Paris I
FRANCE
Bard Larsen
Master's Candidate
University of Oslo
NORWAY
Gerard Libaridian
Professor
University of Michigan
USA
Yoav Loeff
Scholar
ISRAEL
Ann Lousin
Professor
The John Marshall Law School
USA
Yahya Madra
Lecturer
Skidmore College
USA
Nazan Maksudyan
Doctoral Student
Sabancı University
TURKEY
Marc Mamigonian
Director
National Association for
Armenian Studies and Research
USA
Nahed Mansour
Graduate Student
University of Toronto
CANADA
Isabelle Marilier
Militante "Droits des Femmes"
Marseille
FRANCE
Rania Masri
Professor
University of Balamand
LEBANON
Wael Masri
Vice President
Teknitrade Ltd.
USA
Nadire Mater
Journalist
İstanbul
TURKEY
Nouritza Matossian
Author and Journalist
London
ENGLAND
Barbara J. Merguerian
Historian
Boston, Massachusetts
USA
Hercules Milas
Professor
University of Athens
GREECE
Claire Mouradian
Reseacher
CNRS
Paris
FRANCE
Khatchig Mouradian
Jourmalist
Beirut
LEBANON
Siobhan Nash-Marshall
Professor
University of St. Thomas
USA
Kaan Nazlı
Research Analyst
Eurasia Group, New York
USA
Anna Nikoyan
Doctoral Student
Universitee de la Mediterranee
FRANCE
Allen Odian
Physics Researcher
SLAC, Stanford University
USA
Arpi Ohanyan
Arman Ohanyan
Sevane Ohanyan
Taline Ohanyan
Arnouville Les Gonese
FRANCE
Baskın Oran
Professor
Ankara University
TURKEY
Kerem Öktem
Research Associate
University of Oxford
ENGLAND
Şemsa Özar
Professor
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Ferhunde Özbay
Professor
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Ceren Özgül
Doctoral Student
CUNY Graduate Center
USA
Ceren Özselçuk
Instructor and Doctoral Student
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
USA
Ece Öztan
Visiting Researcher
Universiteit van Amsterdam
HOLLAND
Çiğdem Öztürk
Doctoral Student
Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona
SPAIN
Murat Özyüksel
Professor
İstanbul University
TURKEY
Esra Özyürek
Professor
University of California,
San Diego
USA
Murat Paker
Professor
İstanbul Bilgi University
TURKEY
Razmik Panossian
Director of Programmes
Rights and Democracy
CANADA
Dennis Papazian
Professor
University of Michigan, Dearborn
USA
Aslı Peker
Doctoral Student
New York University
USA
Berna Pekesen
Doctoral Student
Ruhr Universitaet Bochum
GERMANY
Rubina Peroomian
Professor
University of California, Los Angeles
USA
Helene Piralian-Simonian
Psychoanalyst
Paris
FRANCE
Kadriye Ramazanoğlu
Doctoral student
Ecole des Hautes Etudes
en Sciences Sociales
FRANCE
Sigrid Rausing
Philantropist and Publisher
London
ENGLAND
Dalita Roger-Hacyan
Maitre de conferences
Universite Paris 1
FRANCE
Rudy Rummel
Professor
University of Hawaii
USA
Arpi Sahr-Sourian
Painter
Arlington, Virginia
USA
Alexis Saludjian
Economist
Paris
FRANCE
Ara Sarafian
Historian
Gomidas Institute
London
ENGLAND
Ezgi Sarıtaş
Student
Ankara
TURKEY
K. M. Greg Sarkissian
President
Zoryan Institute
CANADA
Nail Satlıgan
Assistant Professor
İstanbul University
TURKEY
Ozan Say
Graduate Student
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Ali Kerem Saysel
TURKEY
Bilge Seçkin
Graduate Student
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Elif Shafak
Writer and Professor
University of Arizona, Tucson
USA
Uli Schamiloglu
Professor
University of Wisconsin, Madison
USA
Maria Sharp
Retired Educator
Atlanta, Georgia
USA
George Shirinian
Director
Zoryan Institute
CANADA
Lorne Shirinian
Professor
Royal Military College of Canada
CANADA
Daniel Shoup
Doctoral Candidate
University of Michigan
USA
Christine Simone
New York, New York
USA
Hovann Simonian
Doctoral Student
University of Southern California
USA
Selçuk Akşin Somel
Professor
Sabancı University
TURKEY
Yunus Sözen
Doctoral Candidate
New York University
USA
Neslihan Sözer
Chemical Engineer
TURKEY
Talin Suciyan
Journalist
Istanbul
TURKEY
Haluk Sunat, M.D.
Psychiatrist and Writer
İstanbul
TURKEY
Ronald Grigor Suny
Professor
University of Michigan
USA
Aslı Sümer
Doctoral Student
Ecoles des Hautes Etudes
en Sciences Sociales
FRANCE
Özgür İlke Şanlıer
Doctoral Student
Anadolu University
Eskişehir
TURKEY
Zeynep Şarlak
Doctoral Student
Galatasaray University
TURKEY
Yücel Taşkın
Professor
Marmara University
TURKEY
Maryse Tchakmichian-Grigorian
Conceilier Municipal Toluon
FRANCE
Andre Tchiftchibachian
Research Fellow
Universite de Bretagne-Sud
FRANCE
Pierre Terziyan
Anahit Terziyan
Paris
FRANCE
Henry Theriault
Professor
Worcester State College
USA
Meltem Toksöz
Professor
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Gregory Topalian
Education Director and Writer
Melbourn
ENGLAND
Serdar Torlak
Doctoral Student
Paris 1 - La Sorbonne
TURKEY
Didier Torossian
Niort
FRANCE
John Torpey
Professor
CUNY Graduate Center
USA
Meline Toumani
Journalist
New York
USA
Yunus Tuncel
Professor
New York
USA
Yektan Türkyılmaz
Doctoral Student
Duke University
USA
Zeynep Türkyılmaz
Doctoral Student
University of California,
Los Angeles
USA
Nadya Uygun
Florida
USA
Hermine Uygun
Florida
USA
Uğur Ü. Üngör
Doctoral Student
University of Amsterdam
Center for Holocaust and
Genocide Studies
HOLLAND
Ayşe Üskül
Post Doctoral Fellow
University of Michigan
USA
Zafer Üskül
Boğaziçi University
TURKEY
Edouard Vartanian
Chevalier de la Legion
d'Honneur
FRANCE
Evangelos Venetis
Lecturer
University of Edinburgh
ENGLAND
Theo Ven Lint
Professor
Oxford University
ENGLAND
Ben Viccari
Journalist and Broadcaster
Toronto
CANADA
Huberta Von Voss
Journalist and Writer
Berlin
GERMANY
