Aysenur Ezgi Eygi killing

TO THE HONORABLE DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, 1
AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF 2
REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF 3
THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE UNITED STATES 4
SECRETARY OF STATE, AND TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE:5
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of 6
the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, 7
respectfully represent and petition as follows: 8
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was born on July 27, 1998, and raised 9
in West Seattle, where she demonstrated an early and enduring 10
commitment to the principles of human rights, peace, and justice; and11
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was a student at West Seattle High 12
School and loved spending time by the water at Lincoln Park in West 13
Seattle; and 14
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was raised with a profound sense of 15
justice, cultivating a lifelong commitment to social and 16
environmental activism; and 17
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was a community organizer who led 18
peaceful protests, including a mass student walkout in Seattle in 19
November 2016 against xenophobia and in support of religious freedom, 20
and stood in solidarity with Indigenous and marginalized communities, 21
including participating in the occupation of the Dakota Access 22
Pipeline protest; and 23
S-2650.1
SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8012
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Saldaña, Orwall, Alvarado, Bateman, Dhingra, Frame,
Nobles, Slatter, Stanford, Trudeau, and C. Wilson
Read first time 04/09/25. Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.
p. 1 SJM 8012
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi demonstrated exceptional leadership in 1
advocating for climate justice and human rights; and2
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi volunteered with global movements for 3
peace and environmental sustainability, including organizing the 4
Turkish community in Berlin, supporting physical therapy and eco-5
building projects in Myanmar, and participating in coral reef 6
restoration in Australia, demonstrating her commitment to preserving 7
ecosystems and combating climate change globally; and8
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi's passion for advocating for 9
environmental policies extended beyond national borders as she worked 10
to create sustainable solutions in Indonesia, including turning 11
recycled plastic into usable fuel, showcasing her commitment to 12
innovative and eco-friendly solutions; and 13
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi's tireless advocacy also extended to 14
supporting displaced communities, including organizing an art market 15
fundraiser in Seattle, raising over $47,000 for medical aid to Gaza; 16
and 17
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi worked as a behavioral technician with 18
children on the autism spectrum; and 19
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was a June 2024 graduate of the 20
University of Washington School of Psychology, with plans to pursue a 21
Ph.D. in anthropology to help underserved American immigrant 22
communities by conducting research and providing clinical counseling; 23
and 24
WHEREAS, While pursuing her degree at the University of 25
Washington, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi advocated for the rights of Palestinian 26
students, faculty, and families, working with the administration to 27
create opportunities for Palestinians affected by the devastation in 28
Gaza, including scholarships, and a Palestine Studies Center; and29
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was an advocate for immigrant and 30
refugee rights and supported immigration justice for members of the 31
broader Seattle community, assisting them with resettlement and 32
paperwork; and 33
WHEREAS, Even while volunteering in the West Bank, Ayşenur Ezgi 34
Eygi's commitment to justice, freedom, and liberation for 35
Palestinians remained unwavering, ensuring her legacy lives on in the 36
pursuit of human rights; and 37
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi's strong sense of commitment to human 38
rights compelled her to travel to the West Bank, Palestine, in 39
September 2024 as a peaceful human rights observer; and40
p. 2 SJM 8012
WHEREAS, On September 6, 2024, at the age of 26, Ayşenur Ezgi 1
Eygi was tragically killed in the West Bank, Palestine, when she was 2
fatally shot by an Israeli military sniper after peacefully observing 3
the illegal displacement of Indigenous Palestinians from their homes 4
to make way for an Israeli settlement, an act of profound bravery and 5
selflessness; and 6
WHEREAS, Rachel Corrie of Olympia, another Washingtonian human 7
rights activist, traveled to the Gaza Strip in 2003 as part of a 8
human rights mission and was tragically killed in Rafah on March 16, 9
2003, when she was fatally crushed by an Israeli military bulldozer 10
operated by two Israeli soldiers, as she stood to prevent the 11
demolition of a Palestinian family's home, an act of profound bravery 12
and selflessness; and 13
WHEREAS, Despite the efforts of Rachel Corrie's family, 14
accountability for her killing was never achieved through United 15
States government diplomatic channels, nor in Israeli courts, which 16
ruled that the Israeli military bore no responsibility for Rachel's 17
killing, a ruling widely criticized by human rights organizations; 18
and 19
WHEREAS, The families of Rachel Corrie and Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi 20
continue the fight for justice and accountability for Ayşenur 21
together; and 22
WHEREAS, Justice and accountability are imperative for both 23
Rachel and Ayşenur, as well as for all United States citizens 24
unjustly killed abroad; and 25
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi and Rachel Corrie's work exemplifies 26
the highest ideals of courage, compassion, and an unyielding 27
dedication to creating a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world, 28
particularly for communities most impacted by climate change and 29
injustice; and 30
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi and Rachel Corrie embodied the very 31
ideals upon which America was founded: Life, liberty, and justice for 32
all; and 33
WHEREAS, Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi and Rachel Corrie have become 34
international symbols of solidarity and human rights across the 35
globe; and 36
WHEREAS, Justice and accountability for the unjust killing of 37
Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi and other United States citizens abroad require the 38
full attention of the United States government, including a 39
transparent, independent investigation led by the United States 40
p. 3 SJM 8012
Department of State into her death at the hands of Israeli military 1
forces; 2
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the 3
United States Department of State order an independent United States-4
led investigation into the killing of Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi by Israeli 5
military forces, to ensure justice and accountability for Ayşenur 6
Ezgi Eygi and all United States citizens wrongfully killed at the 7
hands of a foreign government. 8
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 9
transmitted to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United 10
States, the United States Secretary of State, the United States 11
Department of State, the President of the United States Senate, the 12
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress 13
from the State of Washington. 14
--- END ---
p. 4 SJM 8012