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APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS 22-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR DINK KILLER
Today's Zaman
March 21 2012
Turkey
The Supreme Court of Appeals has upheld an earlier court decision to
sentence Ogun Samast, the hitman in the murder of Armenian-Turkish
journalist Hrant Dink, to 22 years, 10 months in prison.
The high court's 1st Criminal Chamber upheld last year's ruling by a
juvenile court to sentence Samast, who was a minor at the time of the
crime, to 21 years, six months for "premeditated murder" and one year,
four months for carrying an unlicensed gun.
Dink, the editor-in-chief of Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos, was
gunned down outside his office in İstanbul in broad daylight on Jan.
19, 2007. The murder shocked Turkey and the ensuing trial became mired
in controversy with Dink's family and human rights activists arguing
that links between suspects in the case and the real masterminds of
the murder, suspected to be in the military and police force, were
not sufficiently investigated.
The hitman, Samast was captured one day after the murder. Other
suspects, including Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel, were captured in
the following days on charges of soliciting Samast for Dink's murder.
The court hearing the primary murder trial sentenced Hayal to life for
soliciting Samast to murder Dink, but ruled there was no organized
criminal network linked to the murder. The ruling angered the Dink
family's lawyers and many others who say the trial failed to shed
light on alleged connections between the suspects and state officials.
Today's Zaman
March 21 2012
Turkey
The Supreme Court of Appeals has upheld an earlier court decision to
sentence Ogun Samast, the hitman in the murder of Armenian-Turkish
journalist Hrant Dink, to 22 years, 10 months in prison.
The high court's 1st Criminal Chamber upheld last year's ruling by a
juvenile court to sentence Samast, who was a minor at the time of the
crime, to 21 years, six months for "premeditated murder" and one year,
four months for carrying an unlicensed gun.
Dink, the editor-in-chief of Armenian-Turkish newspaper Agos, was
gunned down outside his office in İstanbul in broad daylight on Jan.
19, 2007. The murder shocked Turkey and the ensuing trial became mired
in controversy with Dink's family and human rights activists arguing
that links between suspects in the case and the real masterminds of
the murder, suspected to be in the military and police force, were
not sufficiently investigated.
The hitman, Samast was captured one day after the murder. Other
suspects, including Yasin Hayal and Erhan Tuncel, were captured in
the following days on charges of soliciting Samast for Dink's murder.
The court hearing the primary murder trial sentenced Hayal to life for
soliciting Samast to murder Dink, but ruled there was no organized
criminal network linked to the murder. The ruling angered the Dink
family's lawyers and many others who say the trial failed to shed
light on alleged connections between the suspects and state officials.