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JOURNALIST CANDAR SUED FOR CRITICIZING HANDLING OF DINK MURDER CASE
BIAnet.org
July 14 2010
Turkey
Referans newspaper writer Candar is facing imprisonment for his article
about the handling of the Hrant Dink murder case. He criticized that
the secret witness had not appeared at court. He had also called the
judge being too free-and-easy. His trial was postponed to 13 December.
Erol ONDEROÄ~^LU [email protected] Istanbul - BÄ°A News Center14 July
2010, Wednesday Referans newspaper writer Cengiz Candar 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 Candar'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 12th 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 14th High Criminal
Court, Erkan Candar, 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, Candar 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?" Candar 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.
Candar'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 Ugurer, who presided over the
case in the first hearing, took his annual leave. (EO/VK)
From: A. Papazian
BIAnet.org
July 14 2010
Turkey
Referans newspaper writer Candar is facing imprisonment for his article
about the handling of the Hrant Dink murder case. He criticized that
the secret witness had not appeared at court. He had also called the
judge being too free-and-easy. His trial was postponed to 13 December.
Erol ONDEROÄ~^LU [email protected] Istanbul - BÄ°A News Center14 July
2010, Wednesday Referans newspaper writer Cengiz Candar 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 Candar'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 12th 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 14th High Criminal
Court, Erkan Candar, 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, Candar 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?" Candar 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.
Candar'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 Ugurer, who presided over the
case in the first hearing, took his annual leave. (EO/VK)
From: A. Papazian