ATAA to Oppose Parole of Armenian Terrorist Hampig "Harry" Sassounian

Community Information Service

June 27, 2013 / No:390

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ATAA TO OPPOSE PAROLE OF ARMENIAN TERRORIST
HAMPIG "HARRY" SASSOUNIAN

The Assembly of Turkish American Associations (ATAA), America's leading and largest democratically-elected Turkish heritage membership organization, has submitted a dossier in opposition to the release of Armenian terrorist, Hampig "Harry" Sassounian, whose parole hearing will take place on July 3 at San Quentin Prison, near San Francisco, California.

Sassounian, Inmate C88440, entered prison on June 29, 1984. He is at San Quentin Prison, which is a maximum security facility where notable murderers have been inmates: Sirhan Sirhan who assassinated Robert F. Kennedy; Jang In-hwan who assassinated American diplomat Durham Stevens; and Charles Manson, leader of the Manson Family apocalyptic cult.


Kemal Arikan Assassinated January 28, 1982	Hampig Sassounian JCAG Assassin Inmate C88440

Sassounian was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment for the heinous assassination of Turkish Consul General Kemal Arikan on January 28, 1982. The Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (JCAG), the militant wing of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), claimed responsibility. Sassounian shot Mr. Arikan 14 times in the chest and head, as Mr. Arikan was in his car waiting at a traffic signal. Sassounian was arrested shortly thereafter. Sassounian's father declared on national news, "I am glad a Turk was killed."

The Armenian American community raised over $350,000 for the "Hampig Sassounian Defense Fund" and subsequently organized "An Evening for Hampig" which included an emotionally charged, anti-Turkish racist religious service by Bishop Yeprem Tabakian of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Los Angeles police searched Sassounian's automobile, seizing a .357 caliber bullet and a one-way airline ticket from Los Angeles to Beirut. Sassounian's accomplice, Krikor Saliba, fled to Beirut.

Police also searched Sassounian's home, where they seized a gun receipt, pistol targets, and a manifesto of "The Armenian Youth Federation." According to the FBI, the JCAG recruited members from the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation.

ATAA will provide a Victims Impact Statement on behalf of Turkish Americans who have been victims of Armenian terrorism and violent extremism. The ATAA Statement will be submitted by ATAA Regional Vice President Maria Cakiraga, and will be supported by a Report on Armenian Terrorism and Violent Extremism as well as affidavits of victims. Furthermore, the Statement will refer to numerous public declarations by Sassounian himself, as well as officers of the Armenian military, leaders of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) political party, and foreign agents of ARF in the United States, in support of Sassounian's actions.

ATAA, representing over 60 local chapters and 500,000 Turkish Americans throughout the United States, serves locally and in Washington DC to empower the Turkish American community through civic engagement, and to support strong US-Turkish relations through education and advocacy. Established in 1979, ATAA is the largest, democratically elected Turkish American membership organization in the United States. As a non-faith based organization, ATAA is open to people of diverse backgrounds. The ATAA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed under the laws of the District of Columbia. To learn more about ATAA, please visit www.ataa.org.

This article may be reprinted without the permission of ATAA and free of charge under the conditions that the entirety of the article is printed without alteration to text, art or graphics, the title of the reprinted or republished version attributes the article to ATAA, and the ATAA website link www.ataa.org is included in the reprinted or republished version.