Lawyer Demands 28 Years Prison Sentence for Journalist

Journalist Nedim Şener's book entitled "The Dink Murder and the Lies of the Intelligence" is subject of the trial against the journalist before the Istanbul 11^th High Criminal Court. The court is investigating now whether records from the book are enclosed into the file of the Hrant Dink murder case tried by the Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court.

Head of Intelligence Department Ramazan Akyürek, who was deposed from duty last week, and intelligence officers Muhittin Zenit, Fatih Sarı and Ali Fuat Yılmazer had complained about journalist Şener. In the hearing Şener stated, "Yılmazer is accused in the report of the Prime Ministry Inspection Board as well. The people who took Ramazan Akyürek off duty should also review Yılmazer's situation in my opinion".

Akyürek, Zenit and Sari did not attend the hearing on 23 October. Yılmazer appeared at the court and said, "In his book Şener implicates that I turned a blind eye to this matter. He implicated that we had evil intentions". Akyürek's lawyer voiced similar accusations.

Trial postponed to 16 December

Şener responded, "I did not imply something like that. I excerpted the records from the Dink murder file only. But they can draw this conclusion if they are confronted by their conscience".

Lawyer Yücel Döşemeçi demands prison sentence for up to 28 years for the journalist under charges of "targeting people on duty to fight terrorism, supplying and announcing confidential information and attempting to influence a trial" concerning the contents of Şener's book.

The complainants renewed their claim of "supplying confidential documents", which had been rejected by the court in the previous hearing. However, the court did not change this decision. The trial is to be continued on 16 December.

Alleged neglect from Ankara authorities

Şener reminded that the Trabzon Intelligence F4 report, based on information from informant Erhan Tuncel and signed by former Trabzon Chief of Police Ramazan Akyürek, had been sent to the Ankara Intelligence Office Presidency C Branch Directorate. Şener raised the question, "Why were the Protection Head Office and the other authorities not mobilized when it was known that Dink was going to be killed?"

The mentioned F4 report contained the warning "Hayal is going to kill Dink, no matter at what cost". Upon Şener's words Yılmazer replied, "It was not my duty to prevent the murder of Dink. And for the protocol he added, "To avoid any misunderstanding, of course it was my duty to co-ordinate between Trabzon and Istanbul".

Şener: Protection was your duty, you did not fulfill that.

Yılmazer stated that he made a side note when he received the report. He said he even annotated "Does Istanbul know? Let's talk to Trabzon" and sent the document to the C Branch.

Şener stated that a circular signed by Sabri Uzun was sent to the intelligence branches in February 2002 regarding the people reported to be under death threat to be protected by the Protection Head Office. Şener claimed that this had not been done for Hrant Dink:

"It is not your duty to write annotations. When did you write it? Before the murder or afterwards? Or even last week? It was your job to do what was necessary". (EÖ/VK)