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Cihan News Agency (CNA) - Turkey
January 19, 2013 Saturday
Dink remembered on 6th anniversary of murder as calls for justice grow
ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- Tens of thousands of people on Saturday remembered
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on the sixth anniversary of his
murder and called for justice.
Thousands of people marched from Istanbul's Taksim Square to the site
of Hrant Dink's murder in 2007,the Agos weekly headquarters in Sisli,
as they do every year on Jan. 19 since Dink's murder to support his
family and demand justice.
Saturday's commemoration ceremonies were marred by clashes between
demonstrators and police in Istanbul as the commemoration ceremony
ended. Police reportedly used pepper gas during the clashes.
The late editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, Dink,
was shot dead by ultranationalist teenager Ogün Samast in Istanbul on
Jan. 19, 2007. Dink was convicted in 2005 for "insulting Turkishness"
despite an expert report that he had not committed the said crime. He
received threats from extremist rightist groups and ultranationalist
circles until he was murdered.
While Samast was sentenced to 22 years, 10 months in prison by a
juvenile court, Yasin Hayal was given life in prison for inciting the
murder. In a separate trial, two gendarmerie officers were convicted
merely on charges of "dereliction of duty" in the run-up to the Dink
murder. During the five-year trial process, both lawyers for the Dink
family and prosecution presented evidence indicating that Samast was
not acting alone. The prosecution believes the killers are affiliated
with the Ergenekon network, whose suspected members currently stand
trial on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, but so far
it has not been possible to question them about Dink's murder.
On Jan. 10, The Supreme Court of Appeals' Chief Public Prosecutor's
Office asked the high court to overturn a highly controversial ruling
>From last year that ruled out the involvement of an organized criminal
network in the killing of Dink. The top prosecutor said that Dink was
obviously killed specifically because he is from a different ethnic
group, and his murder was part of the planned and systematic activity
of a criminal network aiming to damage the state's unity.
Friends of Hrant are saying "We are Here Ahparig! ("ahparig" means "my
brother" in Armenian) this year and last week kicking off a week-long
memorial of events ranging from film screenings to exhibitions, from a
symposium to a story-reading and musical performances which started at
Cezayir Meeting Hall on Jan. 12-13 with a symposium entitled "Hrant
Dink Operation: 6 Years."
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in September 2010
that Turkey had failed to investigate and prosecute those who were
responsible for Dink's murder and this constitutes a violation of
Dink's right to life.
From: Baghdasarian
January 19, 2013 Saturday
Dink remembered on 6th anniversary of murder as calls for justice grow
ISTANBUL (CIHAN)- Tens of thousands of people on Saturday remembered
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on the sixth anniversary of his
murder and called for justice.
Thousands of people marched from Istanbul's Taksim Square to the site
of Hrant Dink's murder in 2007,the Agos weekly headquarters in Sisli,
as they do every year on Jan. 19 since Dink's murder to support his
family and demand justice.
Saturday's commemoration ceremonies were marred by clashes between
demonstrators and police in Istanbul as the commemoration ceremony
ended. Police reportedly used pepper gas during the clashes.
The late editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, Dink,
was shot dead by ultranationalist teenager Ogün Samast in Istanbul on
Jan. 19, 2007. Dink was convicted in 2005 for "insulting Turkishness"
despite an expert report that he had not committed the said crime. He
received threats from extremist rightist groups and ultranationalist
circles until he was murdered.
While Samast was sentenced to 22 years, 10 months in prison by a
juvenile court, Yasin Hayal was given life in prison for inciting the
murder. In a separate trial, two gendarmerie officers were convicted
merely on charges of "dereliction of duty" in the run-up to the Dink
murder. During the five-year trial process, both lawyers for the Dink
family and prosecution presented evidence indicating that Samast was
not acting alone. The prosecution believes the killers are affiliated
with the Ergenekon network, whose suspected members currently stand
trial on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, but so far
it has not been possible to question them about Dink's murder.
On Jan. 10, The Supreme Court of Appeals' Chief Public Prosecutor's
Office asked the high court to overturn a highly controversial ruling
>From last year that ruled out the involvement of an organized criminal
network in the killing of Dink. The top prosecutor said that Dink was
obviously killed specifically because he is from a different ethnic
group, and his murder was part of the planned and systematic activity
of a criminal network aiming to damage the state's unity.
Friends of Hrant are saying "We are Here Ahparig! ("ahparig" means "my
brother" in Armenian) this year and last week kicking off a week-long
memorial of events ranging from film screenings to exhibitions, from a
symposium to a story-reading and musical performances which started at
Cezayir Meeting Hall on Jan. 12-13 with a symposium entitled "Hrant
Dink Operation: 6 Years."
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled in September 2010
that Turkey had failed to investigate and prosecute those who were
responsible for Dink's murder and this constitutes a violation of
Dink's right to life.
From: Baghdasarian