ARMENIAN JOURNALIST GETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE, FACES FURTHER DEFAMATION CASE
NTV Online website, Turkey
Oct 7 2005
Hrant Dink, the chief editor of the Armenian daily Agos, has been
sentenced to six months in prison. The sentence has been suspended
due to Dink’s good behaviour during the trial.
Dink was on trial for defaming Turks in an article he wrote. At
the trial which was held at the Sisli Second Criminal Court, Kemal
Kerincsiz, a member of the Jurists Union who is known for having
asked for the injunction on the Armenian conference and who attended
Dink’s trial as a complaining party, called for the punishment of
the suspect. The defence lawyers said there was no crime involved
and asked for Dink’s acquittal.
The judge ruled that in his column in Agos on 13 February 2004, Dink
insulted and vilified Turks. The judge sentenced him to six months
in prison. The judge then suspended the sentence on the grounds of
Dink’s good behaviour during the trial and because the judge believed
Dink would not commit another crime.
Dink faces another trial for a speech he delivered at the Global
Security, Terrorism and Human Rights panel meeting held in February
2002. He will stand trial for defamation. The trial is to be held at
the Urfa Third Criminal court on 9 February 2006.
Author Orhan Pamuk, too, will stand trial for defamation at the Sisli
Ninth Criminal Court on 16 December 2005.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress