Dink Lawyers: Co-Plaintiffs But Left in the Dark

The lawyers of the Dink family are going to file a complaint because they are not being informed of procedures in the Dink murder trial, despite being joint attorneys. They will complain to the Ministry of the Interior and the Istanbul Governor’s Office.

Fethiye Cetin, one of the lawyers, told bianet that because they were co-plaintiffs in the case, they had to be informed of all transactions. However, so Cetin, “we find out about processes like judicial annulment decisions from other sources, for instance the media.”

Not informed of new investigation

For example, the lawyers also heard through the media that the Ministry of the Interior has decided on a reinvestigation of the Dink murder case transactions with two civil service chief inspectors, a police chief inspector with equal rank to the chief of police, and a new expert witness.

Thus, the lawyers will complain to the Ministry of the Interior and other authorities. They will demand that those neglecting their duties be identified and punished.

Meanwhile, the second investigation has been opened against Istanbul’s Chief of Police Celalettin Cerrah and high ranking police officers in the Istanbul police because they have been accused of neglecting to prevent the murder of Hrant Dink.

Previous investigation blocked

The Ministry of the Interior had previously launched an investigation which had pointed to responsibility and negligence lying with all Istanbul police officers “from the lowest to the highest ranks”; however, the Regional Administrative Court had denied permission for Cerrah to be investigated.

When the first investigation was concluded on 28 Agust 2007, the Istanbul Governor’s Office Province Administrative Board had given permission for the investigation of Ahmet Ilhan Güler, chief of police intelligence, but not Cerrah. Both Güler and the Dink lawyers had objected to the decision.

Reinvestigation of periods before and after 19 January 2007

The second investigation will employ new chief inspectors and prepare a detailed report on the period leading up to the prosecution and trial. The report will then be presented to Minister of the Interior Besir Atalay.

The report will also look at officers who are still employed in Istanbul and Trabzon; it will evaluate whether there was negligence on behalf of police and gendarmerie officers in the murder, and will examine the procedures carried out after Hrant Dink’s murder on 19 January 2007.

Prosecution has rejected joining cases

The lawyers of the Dink family had previously filed a criminal complaint with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecution against the former Trabzon Province Gendarmerie Commander Colonel Ali Öz and five other gendarmerie officers, as well as Istanbul Chief of Police Celalettin Cerrah and other police officers, accusing them of neglecting to do their duties. The lawyers had demanded that these officers be tried in the main murder trial heard at the Istanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court.

However, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecution had decreed lack of jurisdiction for the officers and had sent the files to prosecutors in Istanbul and Trabzon. (EÖ/TK/AG)