Bianet’s Trial For Reporting About Dink’s Murder Postponed

The lawsuit filed by police officer Muhittin Zenit for damages against bianet.org for reporting the telephone conversation between Zenit and Erhan Tuncel about Hrant Dink’s murder was held today (November 12). Tuncel is on trial for instigating the murder of Hrant Dink.

While claimant Zenit did not come to the trial at the trial held at the 25th Criminal Court of First Instance, lawyers of the IPS Communication Foundation for the bianet internet site, Turan Şat and Mustafa Bayram Mısır, and Zenit’s lawyer Öner Özsoy were present.

Bianet and Zenit will submit evidence

Head of the court Judge Şaik Yurtman granted twenty days to the lawyers of the IPS Communication Foundation to prepare their statement regarding the expert report.

Moreover, the defense lawyers will evaluate the answer of the plaintiff to their petition. Both sides will submit the evidence related for their arguments. The next hearing will be on January 28, 2009.

Zenit is suing bianet.org for the news reports appeared on the site on September 30, 2007 under the title “Vurulacak Şekil Belliydi” (How he was going to be shot was known) and on April 28, 2008 under the title “Dink Cinayetinde Yeni Kanıt: Muhsin Başkan’la Yasin Konusunda Görüşeceğiz” (New evidence in Dink’s murder: We will converse with President Muhsin about Yasin). The amount Zenit is asking for damages is 25000 YTL (about 12500 Euro).

Zenit is asking for 60.000 euro from bianet and the NTV

Bianet had claimed that Erhan Tuncel had spoken with Zenith on telephone about Great Union Party (BBP) President Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu’s program regarding his visit to Trabzon. Later it was realized a mistake was made when the news was taken from ntvmsnbs.com and bianet had published an apology for writing that Tuncel had met with Zenith rather than with Memduh Brother.

Bianet had also published a Doğan News Agency (DHA) report by Murat Utku about one hour forty-seven minute long telephone conversation between police officer Zenit and one of the alleged conspirators of Dink’s murder, Erhan Tuncel.

Zenit appears in these news reports as telling Tuncel during a phone conversation that “What, they shot him from the head…This is the only difference. He was not going to run away, but this one did.”

Zenit’s lawsuit against the TV channel NTV for damages in the amount of 45 thousand euro continues at Ankara’s 1st Criminal Court of First Instance. The next hearing will be on December 12. (EÖ/TB)