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BIAnet.org, Turkey
June 17 2011
No Prosecution of "Trabzon Police" for Dink Murder
The Rize High Criminal Court dismissed the appeal filed by the Dink
family lawyers against the closure of procedures regarding officials
of the Trabzon police. Domestic remedies have been exhausted upon the
rejection of the Rize court.
Rize - BÄ°A News Center17 June 2011, Friday The High Criminal Court of
Rize (eastern Black Sea coast) dismissed the appeal against the
decision to drop procedures related to the assassination of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The joint attorneys of the
family of the slain journalists had filed an appeal with the Rize
Court against the decision given by the Trabzon High Criminal Court.
Accordingly, Faruk Sarı and Engin Dinç, on duty for the Chief of the
Trabzon Police Intelligence Branch; the two former Chiefs of the
Trabzon Police, Ramazan Akyürek and ReÅ?at Altay; Muhettin Zenit who
was responsible for the communication with assistant intelligence
staff member Erhan Tuncel; Ã-zkan Mumcu, Mehmet Ayhan and Onur
Karakaya, Department Chief Inspector Ercan Demir and the Chief of the
Trabzon Anti-Terror Branch, Yahya Ã-ztürk, will not be prosecuted in
the context of the Dink murder.
The Dink family lawyers demanded the investigation of the above
mentioned persons and later on appealed the decision for the closing
of procedures. Both their petition and the appeal put forward that the
officials of the Trabzon police at the time were responsible for the
killing of Hrant Dink, then editor-in-chief of the Armenian Agos
newspaper.
Petition came a long way
Hrant Dink, founder of the Armenian Agos newspaper, was killed in
front of his office in Istanbul on 19 January 2007.
In February 2010, the Dink family submitted a petition to the Istanbul
14th High Criminal Court that handles the Dink murder case. The
plaintiff lawyers petitioned for an investigation about the officials
at the Trabzon Police on duty at the time of the murder.
The Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court forwarded the petition to the
Istanbul Public Chief Prosecution. On 28 May 2010, the Istanbul
Prosecution decided to drop procedures and allocated the investigation
to the Trabzon Public Chief Prosecution.
The Trabzon prosecution announced their decision one month later,
saying that there was "no need for a prosecution".
On 16 September 2010, the Dink family lawyers appealed the decision
with the Rize High Criminal Court. They requested to lift the decision
of the Trabzon Public Chief Prosecution regarding the abatement of
action.
The plaintiff lawyers requested to launch a trial against the Trabzon
police officers by taking into account the "new evidence" that emerged
from the statements given by Emin Arslan, Levent Yarımel and ReÅ?at
Altay. Yet, The Rize High Criminal Court dismissed their appeal
despite the additional information.
It was stated in the court decision that the Istanbul Police
Directorate and the Intelligence Department Presidency of the Police
General Directorate had been informed by the Trabzon Police about the
murder on 15 February 2006 and about the concrete assassination plot
on 17 February 2006.
With the latest decision of the Rize High Criminal Court, domestic
remedies have been exhausted. (HK/Ã-V/VK)
June 17 2011
No Prosecution of "Trabzon Police" for Dink Murder
The Rize High Criminal Court dismissed the appeal filed by the Dink
family lawyers against the closure of procedures regarding officials
of the Trabzon police. Domestic remedies have been exhausted upon the
rejection of the Rize court.
Rize - BÄ°A News Center17 June 2011, Friday The High Criminal Court of
Rize (eastern Black Sea coast) dismissed the appeal against the
decision to drop procedures related to the assassination of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The joint attorneys of the
family of the slain journalists had filed an appeal with the Rize
Court against the decision given by the Trabzon High Criminal Court.
Accordingly, Faruk Sarı and Engin Dinç, on duty for the Chief of the
Trabzon Police Intelligence Branch; the two former Chiefs of the
Trabzon Police, Ramazan Akyürek and ReÅ?at Altay; Muhettin Zenit who
was responsible for the communication with assistant intelligence
staff member Erhan Tuncel; Ã-zkan Mumcu, Mehmet Ayhan and Onur
Karakaya, Department Chief Inspector Ercan Demir and the Chief of the
Trabzon Anti-Terror Branch, Yahya Ã-ztürk, will not be prosecuted in
the context of the Dink murder.
The Dink family lawyers demanded the investigation of the above
mentioned persons and later on appealed the decision for the closing
of procedures. Both their petition and the appeal put forward that the
officials of the Trabzon police at the time were responsible for the
killing of Hrant Dink, then editor-in-chief of the Armenian Agos
newspaper.
Petition came a long way
Hrant Dink, founder of the Armenian Agos newspaper, was killed in
front of his office in Istanbul on 19 January 2007.
In February 2010, the Dink family submitted a petition to the Istanbul
14th High Criminal Court that handles the Dink murder case. The
plaintiff lawyers petitioned for an investigation about the officials
at the Trabzon Police on duty at the time of the murder.
The Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court forwarded the petition to the
Istanbul Public Chief Prosecution. On 28 May 2010, the Istanbul
Prosecution decided to drop procedures and allocated the investigation
to the Trabzon Public Chief Prosecution.
The Trabzon prosecution announced their decision one month later,
saying that there was "no need for a prosecution".
On 16 September 2010, the Dink family lawyers appealed the decision
with the Rize High Criminal Court. They requested to lift the decision
of the Trabzon Public Chief Prosecution regarding the abatement of
action.
The plaintiff lawyers requested to launch a trial against the Trabzon
police officers by taking into account the "new evidence" that emerged
from the statements given by Emin Arslan, Levent Yarımel and ReÅ?at
Altay. Yet, The Rize High Criminal Court dismissed their appeal
despite the additional information.
It was stated in the court decision that the Istanbul Police
Directorate and the Intelligence Department Presidency of the Police
General Directorate had been informed by the Trabzon Police about the
murder on 15 February 2006 and about the concrete assassination plot
on 17 February 2006.
With the latest decision of the Rize High Criminal Court, domestic
remedies have been exhausted. (HK/Ã-V/VK)