TRIAL OF DINK’S MURDERERS TO START ON JULY 2
PanARMENIAN.Net
08.05.2007 18:11 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ An Istanbul court is to start hearing the case
against 19 men charged with involvement in the murder of prominent
Turkish-Armenian journalist "Agos" weekly editor-in-chief Hrant Dink
on July 2. Among the suspects are 17-year-old immediate murderer
Ogun Samast, Erhan Tuncel and Yasin Hayal, who have been accused of
preparing the murderous assault. The Istanbul prosecutor is seeking
life imprisonment for both Tuncel and Hayal, who also face charges of
being a senior member of an armed terrorist group. Since Ogun Samast
has not reached the age of 18, he could face up to 24 years behind
bars for the murder of Dink. The indictment tabled by the prosecutor
also called for various terms of imprisonment for Mustafa Ozturk,
Tuncay Uzundal, Zeynel Abidin Yavuz, Ahmet Iskender, Ersin Yolcu,
Yasar Cihan, Halis Egemen, Salih Hacisalihoglu, Alper Esirgemez, Irfan
Ozkan, Osman Alpay, Erbil Susaman, Numan Sisman, Senol Akduman and
Veysel Toprak on charges of aiding and abetting in the killing of Dink.
Hrant Dink, the editor of the Turkish-Armenian "Agos" weekly newspaper,
was gunned down outside his office in Istanbul on January 19 by
17-year-old Ogun Samast, who is a member of a nationalistic group.