Hate crime laws should apply to Turkish attackers and President Erdogan

It is a travesty that the two Turkish American thugs who beat-up peaceful protesters at a Washington D.C. demonstration will not be prosecuted under the U.S. hate crime laws.

Even more disturbing is that the 15 or so other attackers, who are bodyguards of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left the country and will escape punishment altogether. Considering that most of the thugs were part of Erdogan’s detachment, it’s seems pretty obvious that he ordered his men to join the assault.

If anyone should be tried under the hate-crime laws, it should be Erdogan. Anyone who saw the video clip of the attack cannot deny that this is a hate crime. After these thugs beat up the protesters, Congress unanimously enacted HR 354 condemning the violence against peaceful protesters outside the Turkish ambassador’s residence and calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

Once again, however, Erdogan will blackmail the United States. The two currently in jail apparently received political support from Erdogan and Turkey’s foreign minister personally visited them in prison. Let’s just say don’t bet that these two will serve out their full jail term.

This story was originally published January 6, 2018 at 12:46 PM with the headline "Hate crime laws should apply to Turkish attackers and President Erdogan."