US Congressman demands accountability for Turkish attacks on DC peaceful protesters

The US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) on May 17 sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urging immediate action to hold individuals accountable for brutal attacks on peaceful protesters outside the Turkish Ambassador’s residence on Tuesday, Asbarez reports.

“Video evidence indicates men dressed in suits viciously beat multiple individuals, throwing them to the ground and kicking them in the head. Numerous news reports indicate these individuals were members of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail who accompanied him on his ofcial state visit this week.

Alarmingly, this behavior is indicative of the broad crackdowns on political activists, journalists and religious freedom in Turkey that have greatly harmed Turkish democracy in recent years,” said Royce in his letter. He urged the Secretary of State and the Attorney General to immediately deal with this issue and bring all appropriate criminal charges before these individuals leave the US.

“Agents of foreign governments should never be immune from prosecution for felonious behavior,” the Congressman said. Above all else, they should never be permitted to violate the protections afforded by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” added Royce.

Supporters of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan have attacked peaceful protesters in Washington D.C. The demonstration, which began at Lafayette Square at noon, was organized by a coalition of organizations, including the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and the American Hellenic Council.

Several different groups, which included representatives from the Armenian, Greek, Kurdish, and Assyrian communities, participated in the protest, while President Erdogan met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. Later it was reported that Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s security detail were the attackers of the peaceful protest.