Rights Activists Will Monitor Dink Trial

The Istanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court had decreed that national and international rights organisations could not become third-party plaintiffs in the Hrant Dink murder case because "they had not directly come to harm". Nevertheless, they are determined to monitor the trial closely.

The Say Stop to Racism and Nationalism Initiative (DurDe) has called on activists to gather near the court building in Besiktas (central Istanbul) at 9.30 am today, the day of the second hearing in the trial.

"Witness to this case" 

Other NGOs have also called on people to gather in front of the court building in a text entitled, "We are witnesses to this case". In the text it further said, "We are on guard in front of the court so that the murderers cannot get away and hide this time. We were only a handful of people in front of the courts that Hrant Dink was tried at. We paid the price for that by losing our brother."

"Now, just like at the funeral, we are going to raise our silent voices next to Rakel Dink [the widow] and Sera, Arat and Delal [Hrant Dink's children]. We expect everyone who opposes darkness, who demands justice, to bear witness and come to the court."

Importance of public awareness 

Fethiye Cetin, one of the lawyers of the Dink family, has pointed out how important the outcome of this trial is to the future of Turkey, and thus, how important public support and interest in the trial is.

The Paris-based Internation Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) are still trying to become third-party plaintiffs in the case.

PEN and HCC refused third-party status 

The International Union of Writers PEN and the Helsinki Citizen's Charter (HCC) have been refused status as third parties. Eugene Schoulgin of PEN will be in front of the court building; Orhan Kemal Cengiz, lawyer for the HCC has announced that he will appeal against the decision, and, if necessary, apply to the European Court of Human Rights.

Cengiz pointed out that Hrant Dink had been an active member of the HCC and had been a very important symbol for the association: "The murder also represents a violation of our association's right to organise."

At the first hearing of the murder trial on 2 July, the weekly Armenian-Turkish Agos newspaper, of which Hrant Dink was editor-in-chief, and the daily Birgün newspaper had been accepted as third-party plaintiffs.

At the second hearing today, the third-party lawyers are going to use their right to question the accused directly. There are 19 suspects, eight of whom are being held in detention.

Because murder suspect O.S. is under eighteen years old, the court hearing will be closed to the press. Suspect Yasin Hayal's relative Coskun Igci has been added to the list of suspects. (EÖ/NZ/AG)