Trial on Hrant Dink murder case to resume on April 19

The first hearing of the two Dink cases that are joined will be held tomorrow. At the hearing that will be held between April 19 and 21, 34 suspects, 8 of them being arrested, will stand trial together for the first time, reports.

Hrant Dink case will be tried in 14th High Penal Court. The main case, which was joined with the indictment against the public officials who are claimed to be responsible for the assassination, will last for 3 days.

The court reached the conclusion that the cases should be tried together, because of the relation between the two cases and the nature of the alleged crime.

There are 26 suspects in the indictment which claims that some public officials are responsible for the murder. Suspects Ali Fuat Yılmazer, Ramazan Akyürek, Ercan Demir, Muhittin Zenit and Özkan Mumcu are jailed pending trial.

In the main case, Ogün Samast, Yasin Hayal and Ersin Yolcu are arrested.

Suspect Ahmet İskender, who has a warrant that is issued against him, is still a fugitive.

One of the suspects in Agos’ former editor-in-chief Hrant Dink’s murder case, Engin Dinç, the current chief of Security General Directorate Intelligence Branch, won’t be present at the hearing on April 19. Dinç’s excuse for his absence is the escalated terrorist attacks in Turkey. In the petition that was presented to the court by Dinç’s lawyers, it is stated that the struggle against terrorism is currently intense and thus, for Dinç, it would be hard to be present at the hearing.