Lawyer Çetin: "Hrant Dink Case Will Finish the Way it Started"

The joint attorneys who are involved in the murder case of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink will demand the punishment of all persons who are responsible for and involved in the background of the murder. The hearing at the Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court is being held today (12 July).

Dink, founder and then chief editor of the Armenian Agos newspaper, was assassinated on 19 January 2007 in front of his office in Istanbul.

The Istanbul Chief Prosecution might dismiss the request to submit the file to prosecutors who would be able to allocate additional time and effort to investigate the entire dimensions of the murder. Even though, the joint attorneys of the Dink family expect a probe into the people who are to be held responsible for showing Dink as a target in various press trials opened against the journalist before he was killed.

"Friends of Hrant" in Beşiktaş

Once more, the group calling itself the "Friends of Hrant" will gather on the pier in Beşikatş close to the Istanbul Courthouse to reiterate their call for justice. "Our expectation for justice from this court has been worn out. Still, we come together at the same place. And this time for Hrant, for Hrant", the group announced.

Also the "Friends of Hrant" demand the prosecution and punishment of all people responsible for the murder. They will meet at 10.00 am prior to the beginning of the hearing.

Çetin: I cannot say that our efforts were fruitful

Lawyer Fethiye Çetin told bianet that the stage reached by the present investigations was not satisfactory at all.

"The Hrant Dink case will finish just the way it started. We disclosed how the murder was planned and who was involved in which stages. The complaints filed against Dink were the result of a central organization, since they were all based on the same sort of petition. We asked for an interrelated evaluation of all complaints. Unfortunately, I cannot say that our efforts have yielded a result until today".

On 10 May, the court president signalized that he would submit the file to the prosecutor in order to have the final plea prepared in case there were no further requests from the joint attorneys to broaden the investigation by hearing new witnesses or presenting fresh evidence.

In the last hearing, the lawyers had in fact demanded to interrogate the Central Command whether detained defendant Erhan Özen worked for the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) or as an informant.

Fuat Turgut charged with "racism"

Additionally, lawyer Fuat Turgut, former advocate of alleged instigator Yasin Hayal, will be tried on Tuesday (13 July) at the Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court. Turgut is facing a prison sentence under charges of "inciting hatred and hostility" on the grounds of his statements made to journalists which allegedly contained racism against Hrant Dink and the Armenians.

Files at ECHR and in Trabzon to be decided soon

The Trabzon 2^nd Magistrate Criminal Court repeatedly dismissed several demands to merge the Trabzon file with the murder file. In Trabzon (eastern Black Sea coast), eight gendarmerie officers stand accused of "slight negligence". The trial has reached its final stage and will be continued on 28 July.

Former Trabzon Gendarmerie Regiment Commander Colonel Ali Öz, intelligence branch officials Captain Metin Yıldız, Non-Commissioned Officers Gazi Günay and Hüseyin Yılmaz, Command Special Major Okan Şimşek, Special Sergeants Veysel Şahin, Hacı Ömer Ünalır and Önder Araz are facing prison sentences because of "neglect" of two years the most.

The Dink murder is also being tried at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) since journalist Dink had been targeted in press trials and had not been protected. After the defence of the Turkish government this case has also reached its final stage.

Three defendants left

Despite information obtained one year earlier on a planned attack against Agos newspaper founder Dink, Ogün Samast came from Pelitli (Trabzon) to Istanbul and killed Dink in front of his office in Şişli on 19 January 2007. The number of detained defendants of the murder case has gone down to three. Besides Samast, Yasin Hayal is detained for alleged incitement to the murder as well as police informant Erhan Tuncel. (EÖ/VK)