Tweet
TURKEY'S AUDIT BOARD SLAMS DINK MURDER CASE INVESTIGATION
PanARMENIAN.Net
February 20, 2012 - 19:16 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey's State Audit Board (DDK) completed a report
into the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink today,
Feb 20 saying it found mistakes in the questioning of government
personnel which adversely affected the efficiency of the overall
investigation into the murder.
President Abdullah Gul had ordered DDK to look into the case of Dink's
murder after lawyers for the murdered journalist's family said the
trial was not being properly conducted.
The report said the trial was hampered by structural and procedural
difficulties even though the culprits were swiftly apprehended.
The DDK also said "gendarmerie and police intelligence units did not
work toward the protection of Hrant Dink even though they had learned
of a ... threat."
The report added that the Turkish state failed to fulfill its
obligation to protect human life as pointed out by Article 17 of the
Turkish Constitution, as well as the second article of the European
Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is a signatory, Hurriyet
reported.
The Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court issued its ruling on Jan 17
in the 25th hearing of the case. Hayal and Erhan Tuncel, the main
suspects, who were accused of being instigators, and all other
suspects, were cleared of charges of membership in a terrorist
organization. The prosecutor and the Dink family's lawyers accused
them of acting under the orders of a clandestine criminal network
suspected of having ties with senior state officials and military
and police officers.
The court handed down a life sentence to Hayal, while Tuncel was given
10 years and six months in prison for his involvement in the bombing
of a McDonald's restaurant in 2004. Gunman Ogun Samast was sentenced
last July to nearly 23 years in prison by a separate juvenile court.
Tuncel was released.
PanARMENIAN.Net
February 20, 2012 - 19:16 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey's State Audit Board (DDK) completed a report
into the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink today,
Feb 20 saying it found mistakes in the questioning of government
personnel which adversely affected the efficiency of the overall
investigation into the murder.
President Abdullah Gul had ordered DDK to look into the case of Dink's
murder after lawyers for the murdered journalist's family said the
trial was not being properly conducted.
The report said the trial was hampered by structural and procedural
difficulties even though the culprits were swiftly apprehended.
The DDK also said "gendarmerie and police intelligence units did not
work toward the protection of Hrant Dink even though they had learned
of a ... threat."
The report added that the Turkish state failed to fulfill its
obligation to protect human life as pointed out by Article 17 of the
Turkish Constitution, as well as the second article of the European
Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is a signatory, Hurriyet
reported.
The Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court issued its ruling on Jan 17
in the 25th hearing of the case. Hayal and Erhan Tuncel, the main
suspects, who were accused of being instigators, and all other
suspects, were cleared of charges of membership in a terrorist
organization. The prosecutor and the Dink family's lawyers accused
them of acting under the orders of a clandestine criminal network
suspected of having ties with senior state officials and military
and police officers.
The court handed down a life sentence to Hayal, while Tuncel was given
10 years and six months in prison for his involvement in the bombing
of a McDonald's restaurant in 2004. Gunman Ogun Samast was sentenced
last July to nearly 23 years in prison by a separate juvenile court.
Tuncel was released.