SEATTLE – Senators Patty Murray (D) and Maria Cantwell (D) both called for a federal investigation into the death of American citizen Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, an activist who was reportedly
Eygi was killed during a protest of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Reports from the day suggest that she was shot in the head by a member of the IDF.
Vice President Kamala Harris (D) condemned the killing of the recent University of Washington graduate on Wednesday.
“The killing of Aysenur Eygi is a horrific tragedy that never should have happened…Aysenur was peacefully protesting in the West Bank—standing up against the expansion of settlements—when her young life was senselessly cut short,” Harris said in a written statement.
While Harris offered a criticism of how the IDF operated in the West Bank, she stopped short of suggesting a full federal investigation into the killing.
Senator Murray condemned the IDF killing of Eygi Sept. 6 and said she would be in touch with both the Biden Administration and the Israeli government to find out why a recent University of Washington grad was killed while peacefully protesting.
“I will be in close touch with the Biden administration to press the Israeli government for full transparency and accountability,”
Senator Cantwell sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken Wednesday calling for a State Department investigation into Eygi’s death.
“All democracies must have accountability, including for members of the government and military, and follow the rule of law. As Vice President Harris stated, ‘No one should be killed for participating in a peaceful protest,’” Cantwell said.
Vigils decrying the killing of Eygi and a Palestinian civilian death toll that hit 40,000 in early August took place throughout Washington this week, from Alki Beach in Seattle to Riverfront Park in Spokane.
While the current state of investigations into Eygi’s killing in the US is unclear, the government of Turkey launched a prosecutorial inquiry into the incident. Eygi held dual American-Turkish citizenship and her body was laid to rest in her family’s hometown on the Aegean coast.
