Lawyer Çetin: Violations Continue, New Trials to Come

After Turkey has recently been convicted by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case concerned with murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, joint attorney of the Dink family Fethiye Çetin says that it is not over yet: "We have experienced further rights violations in the cases and the investigation related to the Hrant Dink murder".

Çetin indicated, "The means of domestic remedies are being exhausted one by one. If we cannot achieve a result we will apply to the ECHR".

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

"The trial ends the way it started"

The joint lawyers of the Dink family await the investigation of all persons involved in the background of the murder, who played a role in and carried responsibility for the murder and also of the people to be held responsible for showing Dink as a target in the context of the press trials opened against Dink. However, Çetin does not expect much in the face of the developments.

According to the lawyer, the cases tried in Turkey and the investigation into the Dink murder constitute a violation of several articles of the European Convention of Human Rights. These are namely Articles 2, 6, 10, 13 and 14 on the right to life, the right to a fair trial, the right to freedom of expression, to an effective remedy and the prohibition of discrimination respectively.

Violations

In an interview with bianet Çetin referred to the ineffective investigations regarding the trials in Trabzon and Istanbul, the demeanour of the Istanbul Governorship and prosecutors and the lack of investigation into activities of members of the National Intelligence Agency (MIT). The lawyer mentioned the following examples for violations of the law:

- The investigation carried out in the scope of the case tried at the Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court is not effective. The suspects on trial are the triggermen and their close friends. Yet, we know that this murder was planned and realized step by step. We informed the court how the murder was planned and who was involved in the different stages. The complaints filed at court against Dink were the result of a central organization; we reminded the fact that all petitions were made in exactly the same way. We requested an evaluation considering all facts. However, our efforts did not yield any results.

- The investigation carried out in the context of the case tried at the Trabzon 2^nd Magistrate Criminal Court is not effective. Our request to merge the file of the eight gendarmerie officers with the murder case was dismissed.

- The Istanbul Governorship refused to hand us the investigation files and the analysis report of an investigation that we made a complaint about. We complain but the means of domestic remedies are being exhausted one by one.

- Our petitions submitted to the prosecutions regarding information on the investigation of the murder, documents and witnesses remained unanswered. Our request to investigate MIT executives was rejected.

Pronouncement of ECHR judgement expected in September

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) recently convicted Turkey in the case concerned with the files of Hrant Dink. In the defence recently submitted by Turkey to the Strasbourg court, Dink was compared to a Nazi leader and he was accused of publishing "hate speeches". Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin had both distanced themselves from the defence. The court decision is expected to be announced in September after the reasoning will have been prepared. (BB/VK)