PAIR FINED FOR THREATENING ARMENIAN PATRIARCH
The New Anatolian, Turkey
March 10 2007
Two men were yesterday fined for sending threatening messages to
Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan via their mobile phones.
After being released pending trial, Gokmen Akman and Hasan Ezer were
not present at the hearing at the Istanbul Second Criminal Court
of Peace.
The presiding judge commuted the men’s jail sentences to fines. The
court ordered Akman to pay YTL 1,287, while Ezer was fined to YTL 77.
According to the indictment prepared by Istanbul Public Prosecutor
Kadir Nazmi Yelkenci, Akman and Ezer were accused of sending
threatening messages to Mutafyan on Oct. 13, 2004 that said, "If
you can’t protect your head, there’s no use in trying to escape,"
"We’ll drive you mad," and "We’ll finish you."
Another threat against Mutafyan
On Thursday two people were arrested for shooting into the air after
a ceremony held on Sunday at the Mother Mary Church to commemorate
the death of Hrant Dink. One of the suspects, Volkan Karaova, stated
during interrogation that he went to the church to assassinate
Armenian Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan. Brought before the Istanbul
Judicial Court, Karaova stated that he didn’t fire a shot in the air,
but went to the church to kill Mesrob II.