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ON FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF DINK MURDER, OSCE MEDIA FREEDOM REPRESENTATIVE CALLS FOR JUSTICE FOR ALL KILLED JOURNALISTS IN THE OSCE REGION
arminfo
Friday, January 20, 12:15
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, said
on January 19 on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the murder
of prominent Turkish journalist Hrant Dink that OSCE participating
States must do more to protect journalists and punish their assailants,
the OSCE headquarters told ArmInfo.
Dink, the editor-in-chief of the Armenian-Turkish language weekly
Agos, was shot dead on this day in 2007 in front of its Istanbul
offices. Two days ago a criminal court in Istanbul sentenced one man
for involvement but acquitted 18 other defendants of charges of acting
on the orders of a terrorist organization.
"As the recent court verdict shows, even five years after Dink's
murder justice has still not been done. If the instigators of violence
against journalists are not punished it sends a chilling message to
society that such crimes are tolerated," said Mijatovic.
"Governments have a duty not only to condemn violence against
journalists loudly and resolutely, but also to ensure that these crimes
are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Journalists must feel
protected when they report on issues that affect all our lives."
Mijatovic also noted the statements by the Turkish political leadership
on this issue, including President Abdullah Gul and Deputy Prime
Minister Bulent Ar?nc, who said that the decision was unsatisfactory
to the people and that the ruling could be appealed.
"During my visit last December, the authorities assured me that the
media freedom situation in Turkey will improve soon. I look forward to
continuing working with them on all issues related to media freedom,"
the Representative said.
"I continue to monitor the case of Hrant Dink and I also continue to
follow all cases in OSCE countries where journalists were killed in
relation to their work," she said. "In too many cases justice has still
not been delivered after many years of investigation. The families,
friends and colleagues of these journalists, as well as the societies
as a whole, deserve to know the truth."
An Istanbul court on Tuesday ruled to sentence Yasin Halal, a chief
culprit in the Dink murder case, to life imprisonment. The other
defendant in the case, Erhan Tancel, was sentenced to 10.5 years in
prisons. A juvenile court sentenced Dink's assassin, Ogun Samast, to
22 years and 10 months in jail last July. Assistant Prosecutor general
of Istanbul Fikret Secen said the court verdict will be disputed.
arminfo
Friday, January 20, 12:15
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, said
on January 19 on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the murder
of prominent Turkish journalist Hrant Dink that OSCE participating
States must do more to protect journalists and punish their assailants,
the OSCE headquarters told ArmInfo.
Dink, the editor-in-chief of the Armenian-Turkish language weekly
Agos, was shot dead on this day in 2007 in front of its Istanbul
offices. Two days ago a criminal court in Istanbul sentenced one man
for involvement but acquitted 18 other defendants of charges of acting
on the orders of a terrorist organization.
"As the recent court verdict shows, even five years after Dink's
murder justice has still not been done. If the instigators of violence
against journalists are not punished it sends a chilling message to
society that such crimes are tolerated," said Mijatovic.
"Governments have a duty not only to condemn violence against
journalists loudly and resolutely, but also to ensure that these crimes
are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Journalists must feel
protected when they report on issues that affect all our lives."
Mijatovic also noted the statements by the Turkish political leadership
on this issue, including President Abdullah Gul and Deputy Prime
Minister Bulent Ar?nc, who said that the decision was unsatisfactory
to the people and that the ruling could be appealed.
"During my visit last December, the authorities assured me that the
media freedom situation in Turkey will improve soon. I look forward to
continuing working with them on all issues related to media freedom,"
the Representative said.
"I continue to monitor the case of Hrant Dink and I also continue to
follow all cases in OSCE countries where journalists were killed in
relation to their work," she said. "In too many cases justice has still
not been delivered after many years of investigation. The families,
friends and colleagues of these journalists, as well as the societies
as a whole, deserve to know the truth."
An Istanbul court on Tuesday ruled to sentence Yasin Halal, a chief
culprit in the Dink murder case, to life imprisonment. The other
defendant in the case, Erhan Tancel, was sentenced to 10.5 years in
prisons. A juvenile court sentenced Dink's assassin, Ogun Samast, to
22 years and 10 months in jail last July. Assistant Prosecutor general
of Istanbul Fikret Secen said the court verdict will be disputed.