Ministry of Justice has given permission for the continuance of the trial of Temel Demirer under article 301 for saying that Hrant Dink was not only killed for being an Armenian, but recognizing the genocide as well.

Not surprised by this decision of the ministry, Demirer’s lawyer Şiar işvanoğlu told bianet that if the ministry had refused giving permission, then those more liberal minded judges would be willing to use initiative.”

“We were expecting this decision. With this decision, they have just proven that their promises regarding the European Union, democracy, the structural reforms and the human rights are all fairytales. On the one hand, they go to Armenia to watch a game, on the other hand they are filing cases under article 301.”

It was Minister Şahin who gave the permission

According to the new version of article 301, a permission from the Ministry of Justice is required to try cases under this article.

Demirer’s case went to the ministry on May 15 and minister Mehmet Ali Şahin decided to allow the case to proceed.

He is on trial for asking people to commit article 301 crime for 301 times

Demirer is accused for “provoking people to hatred and hostility” for his speech in Ankara on January 20, 2007, the next day after the murder of Hrant Dink.

The indictment prepared by prosecutor Levent Savaş on January 24, 2007 is based on police reports, tape recordings and CD’s. The indictment claims that Demirer made the following speech in the meeting where Hrant Dink’s murder was protested:

“I will be brief. (…) We live in a country where not shouting the truths partners with murder. Hrant was killed not only because he was an Armenian, but because he voiced the truth of genocide in this country. If the Turkish intellectuals do not commit this crime of article 301 301 times, then they will be accomplices to this murder. There is genocide in our history. Its name is Armenian Genocide. Hrant told this truth at the expense of his life. I commit the crime and I ask everyone to do the same. Those who do not commit this crime against this state are those who share the responsibility of the murder of Hrant Dink. Those who massacred Armenians yesterday are attacking our Kurdish brothers today. Those who desire the brotherhood of the peoples must settle with this history. We have to commit this crime, so what happened to our Armenian brothers yesterday will not happen to our Kurdish brothers. I ask everyone to commit this crime. Yes, there was Armenian genocide in this country.” (EÖ/EÜ/TB)