Photo:Â Reuters/Fatih Saribas
Turkish authorities must intensify their efforts to find the masterminds behind the killing of prominent Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, Dunja Mijatović, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said today.
“Year after year, we remember the anniversary of Hrant Dink’s murder, honouring his brave words advocating for minority rights, and paying tribute to his exceptional efforts to create peace,” said the Representative. “But we do so knowing that even a decade on, the masterminds behind this tragedy are still at large.”
On 19 January 2007, Dink, the editor of the Armenian-Turkish bilingual Agos magazine, was shot dead in front of the weekly’s Istanbul offices. Although his murderer was arrested and sentenced to more than 22 years in prison, the investigation into uncovering the masterminds of the crime remains open.
“I urge the authorities of Turkey to increase their efforts to ensure that justice is served and to provide closure for the friends and family of Hrant Dink after an agonizing decade of questions. Authorities must reinforce the vital message to society that those who commit violence against journalists can not do so with impunity.”
The Representative has frequently called on OSCE participating States to end impunity for violence against and killing of journalists.