Dink Murder Case to Start on July 2

After the murder of Agos newspapers editor-in-chief Hrant Dink, 18 defendants will appear at Istanbul's 14th Heavy Penal Court on 2 July. Several NGOs and journalist associations have announced that they will be following the trial in order to make sure that those responsible for the murder will be sentenced.

Turgay Olcayto, vice-president of the Turkey Journalists' Society (TGC), which will observe the case, told bianet: "We want to continue to believe that Turkey is a democratic state governed by the rule of law. We think that the Dink trial is an important criterion."

"The road taken so far is not very promising, because some powers related to the state have attempted to mislead and confuse".

Press Council: We are observing developments closely

Recep Güvelioglu, general secretary of the Press Council, says that "The Dink murder is not a straightforward case. We are observing the developments closely".

The case will also be monitored by representatives of the Istanbul branch of the Modern Journalists' Association (CGD).

Twelve of the eighteen suspects are in detention. The court case will proceed without media. One of the suspects is O.S., accused of being the gunman.

Dink family suing brigadier general

The Dink family is suing brigadier general Dursun Ali Karaduman for two speeches he made at military funerals, arguing that he "attacked personal rights".

In their application, the family said that Karaduman was attempting to "incite hostility between Hrant Dink and the relatives of the killed soldiers". They evaluated a speech he made and a poem he read at two different funerals as an abuse of freedom of speech.

On 9 April, he said at the funeral of a sergeant in Samsun (Black Sea region), "Today the American Senate, the French Parliament, The English Upper Chamber, the Brussels EU Parliament, Armenia, are not condemning your murderers. They only speak up when traitors are killed", clearly referring to international reactions to Hrant Dink's murder.

On 19 June, Karaduman read a poem at the funeral of a gendarmerie private in Gümüshane (Black Sea province neighbouring Trabzon), comparing the reactions to the private's and to Hrant Dink's death. (EÖ/EÜ/AG/EÜ)