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EUROPEAN COURT FAULTS TURKEY OVER DINK'S KILLING
Armenialiberty.org
Sept 14 2010
Turkey
Dink, Hrant, a Turkish-Armenian journalist at his office in Istanbul,
after an Istanbul court on Friday sentenced him to a six-month
suspended sentence for "insult to the Turkish national identity",
7 Oct. 2006 14.09.2010
(Vicky Buffery, Reuters) - The European Court of Human Rights ruled
on Tuesday that Turkish authorities failed to prevent a journalist's
assassination even though they knew that ultra-nationalists were
plotting his death.
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was gunned down outside his
office in January 2007 after receiving death threats from far-right
groups over his calls for Turkey to accept its role in the mass
killings of Armenians in 1915.
The Strasbourg court said authorities had failed to investigate
seriously the threat of an assassination attempt, and ordered them
to pay 100,000 euros ($128,700) in compensation to Dink's widow
and children.
"The Court took the view that the Turkish security forces could
reasonably be considered to have been aware of the intense hostility
towards Hrant Dink in nationalist circles," the Court said in its
ruling. "None of the three authorities informed of the planned
assassination and its imminent realization had taken action to
prevent it."
Arzu Becerik, a lawyer for the Dink family, said she hoped the ruling
would push Turkey to call those involved to account and to change its
tune on human rights and democracy. "We will now apply to the courts
for certain public officials to be tried. The government actually
needs to take the necessary steps without us having to apply,"
Becerik told Reuters Television in Istanbul.
Turkey -- People hold placards, reading We Are All Armenian, We are
all Hrant Dink, during a silent demonstration near an Istanbul court,
02Jul2007Turkey's foreign ministry said in an e-mailed statement that
it would not appeal against the ruling. "Efforts will be undertaken
to meet the clauses in the Dink ruling and all measures will be taken
to prevent a repeat of similar violations in the future."
The Dink case, which was brought before the Strasbourg court by
members of the journalist's family, has been closely followed by
the European Union, which is currently examining Turkey's efforts to
join the 27-nation area. Accession negotiations began five years ago,
but have moved slowly, due in part to EU concerns over Turkey's human
rights record and insufficient democratic reforms.
Prior to his death, Dink, who was editor-in-chief of Turkish-Armenian
newspaper "Agos", had been given a suspended jail sentence under
article 301 of Turkey's penal code, for insulting "Turkishness"
in his writings on the mass killings. However, the Court of Human
Rights said that sentence had violated his freedom of expression and
made him a target for extreme nationalists.
The chief suspect in Dink's assassination is facing trial in Turkey
alongside 18 other suspected accomplices. Another 29 people, including
ex-army officers, have been arrested in an investigation into a
far-right gang said to be behind a series of killings, including that
of Dink.
Turkey was also ordered to pay 5,000 euros to Dink's brother Hasrof
Dink and a further 28,595 euros in costs and expenses.
From: A. Papazian
Armenialiberty.org
Sept 14 2010
Turkey
Dink, Hrant, a Turkish-Armenian journalist at his office in Istanbul,
after an Istanbul court on Friday sentenced him to a six-month
suspended sentence for "insult to the Turkish national identity",
7 Oct. 2006 14.09.2010
(Vicky Buffery, Reuters) - The European Court of Human Rights ruled
on Tuesday that Turkish authorities failed to prevent a journalist's
assassination even though they knew that ultra-nationalists were
plotting his death.
Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was gunned down outside his
office in January 2007 after receiving death threats from far-right
groups over his calls for Turkey to accept its role in the mass
killings of Armenians in 1915.
The Strasbourg court said authorities had failed to investigate
seriously the threat of an assassination attempt, and ordered them
to pay 100,000 euros ($128,700) in compensation to Dink's widow
and children.
"The Court took the view that the Turkish security forces could
reasonably be considered to have been aware of the intense hostility
towards Hrant Dink in nationalist circles," the Court said in its
ruling. "None of the three authorities informed of the planned
assassination and its imminent realization had taken action to
prevent it."
Arzu Becerik, a lawyer for the Dink family, said she hoped the ruling
would push Turkey to call those involved to account and to change its
tune on human rights and democracy. "We will now apply to the courts
for certain public officials to be tried. The government actually
needs to take the necessary steps without us having to apply,"
Becerik told Reuters Television in Istanbul.
Turkey -- People hold placards, reading We Are All Armenian, We are
all Hrant Dink, during a silent demonstration near an Istanbul court,
02Jul2007Turkey's foreign ministry said in an e-mailed statement that
it would not appeal against the ruling. "Efforts will be undertaken
to meet the clauses in the Dink ruling and all measures will be taken
to prevent a repeat of similar violations in the future."
The Dink case, which was brought before the Strasbourg court by
members of the journalist's family, has been closely followed by
the European Union, which is currently examining Turkey's efforts to
join the 27-nation area. Accession negotiations began five years ago,
but have moved slowly, due in part to EU concerns over Turkey's human
rights record and insufficient democratic reforms.
Prior to his death, Dink, who was editor-in-chief of Turkish-Armenian
newspaper "Agos", had been given a suspended jail sentence under
article 301 of Turkey's penal code, for insulting "Turkishness"
in his writings on the mass killings. However, the Court of Human
Rights said that sentence had violated his freedom of expression and
made him a target for extreme nationalists.
The chief suspect in Dink's assassination is facing trial in Turkey
alongside 18 other suspected accomplices. Another 29 people, including
ex-army officers, have been arrested in an investigation into a
far-right gang said to be behind a series of killings, including that
of Dink.
Turkey was also ordered to pay 5,000 euros to Dink's brother Hasrof
Dink and a further 28,595 euros in costs and expenses.
From: A. Papazian