2 Defendants Released in Hrant Dink Murder Case

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The case which was reopened regarding the murder of Hrant Dink, Editor-in-Chief of the Agos newspaper, continued today (December 21) at the İstanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court in the Çağlayan Courthouse.

The 87th hearing of the case, in which public officers are being tried on the allegation of negligence, has been held.

85 defendants are being tried, six of them are arrested. Apart from Ali Fuat Yılmazer, the then Police Intelligence Bureau Director, all arrested defendants have requested release.

Two defendants released

The court has ruled that defendants Hamza Celepoğlu, Intelligence Assessment and Analysis Center Adjutant of the Gendarmerie General Command, and Yavuz Karakaya, a non-commissioned officer at the İstanbul Gendarmerie Intelligence Bureau Directorate, shall be released. 

As a justification for the verdicts of release pronounced by the court have been cited the period, when the defendants were arrested, and the fact that they were not arrested on another charge.

The requests for release raised by the other arrested defendants Ramazan Akyürek, Muharrem Demirkale and Ercan Gün have been dismissed on the grounds that witness statements have not yet been completed and the gravity of the offenses, for which they were arrested.

Presiding Judge Emre Efe Şimşek has ruled that Intelligence Bureau Director Vice Chair Vedat Yavuz, Department of Personnel Deputy Manager Aydın Patan, Özcan Özkan and Necmettin Emre shall be listened as witnesses in the next hearing.

One of the attorneys of Dink family, Hakan Bakırcıoğlu, previously requested that the then Head of İstanbul Department of the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT) Ahmet Köksoy shall be heard at the court. The court board rejected the request of the attorney.

The next hearings will be held at 10 a.m. on March 12-13-14, 2019. (HA/VK)