NEWS
Date published: 1 November 2023 16:25
Modified On: 1 November 2023 17:06

Erdoğan intervenes in the retrial of the Hrant Dink murder case

Ali Öz, Bekir Yokuş, Faruk Sarı, Gazi Günay, Hasan Durmuşoğlu, Mehmet Ayhan, Mehmet Ali Özkılıç, Muharrem Demirkale, Okan Şimşek, Onur Karakaya, Osman Gülbel, Şükrü Yıldız, Veysal Şahin, Volkan Şahin, and Yavuz Karakaya will be retried following the decision made by the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation in June.

BIA News Desk
Erdoğan intervenes in the retrial of the Hrant Dink murder case

İstanbul 14th High Criminal Court has followed the decision of the Court of Cassation for retrial of 15 defendants in the case related to the murder of Hrant Dink, the editor-in-chief of Agos, murdered in front of the office of the newspaper in İstanbul on 19 January 2007.

Following the decision made by the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation in June, the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court held its first hearing today (November 1).

Court of Cassation gives its ruling in Hrant Dink case
Court of Cassation gives its ruling in Hrant Dink case
22 June 2023

Defendants Şükrü Yıldız and Mehmet Ali Özkılıç were present at the hearing, while 12 defendants 7 of whom are detained were connected to the hearing via the Audio-Visual Informatics System (SEGBIS).

The defendants expressed their disagreement with the Court of Cassation's decision and requested the court not to comply with it. They stated their desire to physically attend the hearing and make their defense. Detained defendants requested their release.

President Erdoğan requests to intervene

Following the defendants, the lawyer representing the Presidency, Timuçin Üzel, requested to intervene in the case. Üzel stated, "The Presidency has suffered damage due to attempts to overthrow the constitutional order. We request a decision for the Presidency to participate in the public trial." Üzel also asked for the punishment of the defendants and for measures to be taken regarding their assets and receivables.

Subsequently, Bahri Belen, one of the lawyers representing the Dink family, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision of the Court of Cassation. Belen said, "There is a 131-page evidence folder related to both procedure and substance. However, the Court of Cassation's 3rd Criminal Division did not review this folder andit has disregarded us as an intervening party. It has not stated anything regarding our requests about the decision. We are not stating anything about the decision made by the 3rd Criminal Division of the Court of Cassation either."

Following the statements, the court took a break, and after that, it decided to comply with the Court of Cassation's reversal decision. The court ruled to continue the detention of Gazi Günay, Hasan Durmuşoğlu, Muharrem Demirkale, Okan Şimşek, Osman Gülbel, Veysal Şahin, and Yavuz Karakaya.

The court also accepted the Presidency's request to intervene in the case and gave the parties one month to make statements regarding the separation of files and the expansion of the prosecution.

The court decided that it would evaluate the petitions and, if it is deemed that the requests would not contribute to the trial, the case file would be sent to the prosecutor to prepare the final opinion on the merits.

The next hearing is scheduled for January 10, 2024.

Hrant Dink

Hrant Dink (1954 – 2007) was a Turkish-Armenian intellectual, editor-in-chief of Agos, journalist, and columnist. As editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, Dink was a prominent member of the Armenian minority in Turkey best known for advocating Turkish–Armenian reconciliation and human and minority rights in Turkey. He was often critical of both Turkey's denial of the Armenian genocide and of the Armenian diaspora's campaign for its international recognition. Dink was prosecuted three times for denigrating Turkishness, while receiving numerous death threats from Turkish nationalists. Dink was assassinated in Istanbul on 19 January 2007 by Ogün Samast, a 17-year-old Turkish nationalist, shot three times in the head dying instantly. (Source: Wikipedia)

The sentences received:

  1. Former Trabzon Gendarmerie Regiment Commander Ali Öz was sentenced to 25 years for "killing a person by using another as a tool" and 3 years 4 months for "counterfeiting an official document."

  2. İstanbul Gendarmerie Intelligence Branch officer Bekir Yokuş received a 10-year sentence for "assisting in the murder of a person."

  3. Trabzon Intelligence Branch Director Faruk Sarı was sentenced to 12 years 6 months for "causing the negligent commission of manslaughter" and 3 years 9 months for "destroying an official document."

  4. Trabzon Gendarmerie Intelligence officer Gazi Günay received a 25-year sentence for "killing a person by using another as a tool" and 3 years 4 months for "counterfeiting an official document."

  5. Trabzon Intelligence Branch Deputy Director Hasan Durmuşoğlu was sentenced to 12 years 6 months for "negligent behavior" and 3 years 9 months for "destroying an official document."

  6. Trabzon Intelligence Branch officer Mehmet Ayhan received a 12-year 6-month sentence for "causing the negligent commission of manslaughter" and 3 years 9 months for "destroying an official document."

  7. Civil Servant Inspector Mehmet Ali Özkılıç was sentenced to 7 years 6 months for "being a member of an armed terrorist organization" and 1 year 18 months for "harboring an offender."

  8. İstanbul Gendarmerie Intelligence Team Commander Muharrem Demirkale received a life sentence for "killing a person by using another as a tool" and a life sentence for "attempting to abolish the constitutional order."

  9. Trabzon Gendarmerie Intelligence officer Okan Şimşek was sentenced to 25 years for "killing a person by using another as a tool" and 3 years 4 months for "counterfeiting an official document."

  10. Trabzon Intelligence Branch officer Onur Karakaya received a 12-year 6-month sentence for "causing the negligent commission of manslaughter" and 3 years 9 months for "destroying an official document."

  11. Intelligence Directorate C Branch Deputy Director Osman Gülbel was sentenced to 16 years 8 months for "causing the negligent commission of manslaughter."

  12. Civil Servant Inspector Şükrü Yıldız received a 3 years 9 months sentence for "knowingly and willingly aiding the organization without being a part of its hierarchical structure."

  13. Trabzon Gendarmerie Intelligence officer Veysal Şahin was sentenced to 25 years for "killing a person by using another as a tool" and 3 years 4 months for "counterfeiting an official document."

  14. Trabzon Gendarmerie Intelligence officer Volkan Şahin received a 12-year 6-month sentence for "causing the negligent commission of manslaughter."

  15. İstanbul Gendarmerie Intelligence Branch Non-commissioned Officer Yavuz Karakaya was sentenced to life imprisonment for "attempting to abolish the constitutional order" and 12 years 6 months for "killing a person by using another person as a tool."

(HA/PE)

https://bianet.org/haber/erdogan-intervenes-in-the-retrial-of-the-hrant-dink-murder-case-287292
2024-05-18 06:14:39