2 People Released from Prison in Hrant Dink Case

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In the court case regarding the murder of former Agos weekly newspaper Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dink on January 19, 2007, the Samsun Public Security Branch Office Director of the time Yakup Kurtaran and a former officer from the Intelligence Office of Trabzon Security Directorate Özkan Mumcu have been released from prison.

The court has ruled for the release of Yakup Kurtaran and Özkan Mumcu on the ground that both defendants have presented their statements of defence and considering the current state of evidence in the related case file.

Kurtaran and Mumcu have been released on probation; an international travel ban has been imposed on both defendants.

About Yakup Kurtaran

Yakup Kurtaran was one of the police officers who made Ogün Samast, the murderer of Hrant Dink, open a flag of Turkey and took a picture of him in front of the flag when he was apprehended in the province of Samsun in Turkey's Black Sea region.

About Özkan Mumcu

Özkan Mumcu was appointed to the Trabzon Security Directorate in October 2004. He worked first as a deputy inspector and then, as an inspector. Mumcu was arrested as part of the Hrant Dink case.

As per the indictment, Mumcu faced aggravated life imprisonment on charge of "murder in the first degree" and a variety of other prison sentences on charges of "being a member of an armed organization", "forgery of official documents", "destruction of official documents" and "misconduct in office". (EA/ÇT/SD)