Parole for Armenian killer Hampig Sassounian who confessed to the 1982 murder of a Turkish Consul General Kemal Arıkan in Los Angeles condemned.
Turkish Foreign Ministry has condemned on Thursday the approval of parole for Hampig Sassounian, an Armenian-American who confessed to the 1982 murder of a Turkish diplomat in Los Angeles.
Sassounian was granted parole in a hearing on Wednesday though it is subject to the approval of the governor of California where Kemal Arıkan, the Los Angeles Consul General at the time, was gunned down on Jan. 28, 1982.
The statement on the Ministry’s website “strongly” condemned the decision and “rejected” the verdict defined as “unfortunate.”
Kemal Arıkan was among the 42 Turkish diplomats killed by the Armenian terrorist group ASALA and JCAG in the 1970s and 1980s. Sassounian was a member of JCAG whose first target was Danış Tunalıgil, the Turkish Ambassador to Austria assassinated in Vienna in 1975.
Sassounian was sentenced to life but in 2002, he was deemed eligible for parole after he confessed to the murder. His earlier demands for release in 2006 and 2010 were rejected by the California parole board.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said the latest verdict on parole was based on “local political dynamics instead of universal principles of law,” apparently referring to the sizeable Armenian diaspora in California which lobbied for Sassounian’s release.
“The verdict is not fair and is not compatible with the spirit of cooperation (between the United States and Turkey) and the fight against terrorism,” the ministry’s statement said.
It called the U.S. authorities to oppose the verdict and prevent the release of Sassounian
Armenian terrorist groups had killed 31 Turkish diplomats across the world between 1973 and 1986. The assassinations took place in the U.S., Austria, France, Italy, Spain, Lebanon, Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, Iran, and the U.K.
Press Release Regarding The Decision To Grant Parole To Hampig Sassounian Who Assasinated Consul-general Of Turkey In Los Angeles, Kemal Arıkan , 15.12.2016
We regret that Hampig Sassounian, who assassinated Mr Kemal Arıkan, the Turkish Consul-General in a heinous attack on January 28, 1982 has been granted parole as a result of a parole hearing held on December 14, 2016 in California. We strongly denounce and reject this decision which is subject to the approval of the Governor of California and will be open to appeal.
This unfortunate decision, which is based on local political dynamics instead of universal principles of justice, is not only unjust but also does not comply with the spirit of cooperation and the fight against terrorism. In order to rectify this mistake before it is finalized, we expect that the US authorities lodge an appeal and the release of Sassounian be averted.
During the trial, it was established without any doubt that Sassounian, had acted knowingly and deliberately, and had murdered Consul-General Arıkan in coldblood simply because he was a Turkish national. Sassounian, throughout his incarceration, has not shown any remorse for the crime he committed, but also has continued to glorify the distorted ideology which drove him into this terrorist act.
It is clear that the release of terrorist Sassounian, will first and foremost hurt deeply the family of our martyred diplomat, as well as the Turkish nationals, and will also lead to public indignation.
Consul-General Arıkan was a victim of a terrorist mindset targeting not only him but all Turkish diplomats who strive to serve their country. The pertinent US authorities, who suffered similar losses and with whom we cooperate on counter-terrorism, need to assess the gravity and delicacy of the matter thoroughly, as well as what the finalization of the decision would stand for.
We hereby remember with respect and gratitude our martyred diplomat Kemal Arıkan and all our martyres who fell victim to terrorism.
