Journalist Çandar Sued for Criticizing Handling of Dink Murder Case

Referans newspaper writer Cengiz Çandar is facing a prison sentence of between one and three years under allegations of "insulting a public servant because of his duty". The charges are based on Çandar's criticism of the fact that the secret witness of the Hrant Dink murder case was not taken to court in the hearing on 8 February.

The trial is concerned with the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The founder of the Armenian Agos newspaper was shot in front of his office in Istanbul on 19 January 2007. The latest hearing of the case was held on Monday this week (12 July).

In the 12^th hearing of the case in February, certain information about the "secret witness" had been exhibited in the minutes of the hearing. Furthermore, the President Judge of the Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court, Erkan Canak, had said that "the secret witness does not know Turkish very well". Thus, the safety of the witness's life was being discussed.

In an article entitled "Mocking Hrant and the justice" published on 9 February 2010, Çandar wrote, "Well, no justice is going to happen in that court room, it just cannot happen. The Hrant Dink murder case is being tried in such an informal manner, justice will not happen from being to free-and-easy, it cannot happen".

After it had become clear that the secret witness had not been summoned to court, the President Judge said, "I received a note saying that 'the secret witness arrived' but s/he did not come. The secret witness is waiting for the police at home. The police is waiting here for the secret witness. What shall I do?" Çandar criticed:

"Is a Court President who announces his own helplessness by saying "What shall I do" in any situation going to give a just verdict?"

"The same Court President continuously polemicizes the involved lawyers, turns ato them with a sarcastic smile and opens his hands to both sides as if he was complaining about the situation. Instead of being a neutral judge who does his best for the faith of justice, he gives the impression of a hidden closeness with the defence lawyers. [...]"

Çandar's trial at the Bakırköy (Istanbul) Criminal Court of First Instance will be continued on 13 December. The case was postponed for five months because Judge Vasfi Uğurer, who presided over the case in the first hearing, took his annual leave. (EÖ/VK)