Court Allows Colonel Öz's Investigation For Dink’s Murder

Trabzon’s Regional Administrative Court denied Colonel Ali Öz’s objection regarding the permission given by the provincial Administrative Committee of the Trabzon Governorship for his prosecution in the case of the murder of Hrant Dink. The former Commander of the Trabzon Gendarmerie Regiment is accused of neglect in Dink’s murder.

Gendarmerie Petty Officer Okan Şimşek and Gendarmerie Master Sergeant Veysel Şahin, who are on trial in Trabzon for the same crime, had admitted that they had shared the intelligence regarding the murder plan with their superiors Colonel Öz and Captain Metin Yıldız.

Öz and other responsible ones will be investigated

The two suspects, who are not arrested, had told the court they had already found out in June 2006 that Yasin Hayal had gone to Istanbul and done research about the newspaper Agos and Hrant Dink’s house.

Upon hearing this, the Office of the Trabzon Prosecutor had launched an investigation about Öz and the Trabzon Governorship had given permission for an administrative investigation.

Although Öz had formally objected to these developments, he did not succeed.

The file concerning Öz went to the European Court of Human Rights

Thanks to this decision, the Office of the Trabzon Prosecutor will be able to conduct an investigation about Colonel Öz and the other officials accused of neglect in the murder.

The lawyers of Dink’s family had already gone to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), since they could not bring anyone from the Trabzon Gendarmerie other than Şimşek and Şahin to court to face the charges of neglect.

Yasin Hayal’s father Bahattin Hayal, who was heard by the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul during the hearing on October 13, had also stated that it was necessary to determine the role of Colonel Ali Öz and Ramazan Akyürek, Director of the Intelligence Office and the former Trabzon Police Chief. (EÖ/TB)