Police again Protected in Dink Murder Case

First it was the Trabzon Governor's Office Province Administration Council which refused the trial of the police intelligence department's president Ramazan Akyürek, former Trabzon Police Chief Resat Altay and police officers Engin Dinç, Faruk Sari, Ercan Demir, Özkan Mumcu, Mehmet Ayhan and Muhittin Zenit.

Zenit became well-known after the recording of a telephone conversation between him and police informant/murder suspect Erhan Tuncel hours after the murder was made public.

Cetin: Possibilities have become exhausted

The joint attorneys had then asked the Regional Administrative Court for a decision. Fethiye Cetin, lawyer for the Dink family, said that they had not officially been notified of the court decision yet, but that she was curious how it would be justified. The Trabzon Governor's Office had not offered any justification for refusing the investigation of the police officers.

When bianet asked whether the lawyers were considering an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Cetin replied: "The possiblities for an effective application have gradually been exhausted. Once the decision reaches us, we will evaluate those paths."

Dogan: Application to ECHR a possibility

Joint attorney Erdal Dogan added that a trial may be opened against Zenit because of the telephone conversation with Tuncel, although the Istanbul Public Prosecution had previously dismissed proceedings against him.

He also said that they may demand a new investigation after the unsatisfactory conclusions of the Prime Ministerial Review Committee. Should there be no results, Dogan said, an appplication to the ECHR would be a possibility:

"If there is no development, we may appeal to the ECHR on the grounds that an effective investigation has not been possible."

Initial demand for investigation of police

Following Erhan Tuncel's statement, the Istanbul Public Prosecution had initially demanded an investigation of the Trabzon Police Force.

On 7 August, the Trabzon Governor's Office Province Administration Council, based on a preliminary report by the Prime Ministerial Review Committee, had refused permission for seven officers to be investigated. Lawyers of the Dink family had then applied to the Regional Administrative Court.

Trial continues on 11 February 

The trial of Hrant Dink's murder continues at the Istanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court with 19 defendants, eight of them detained. The next hearing is on 11 February 2008.

Hrant Dink was shot dead in front of the office of the weekly Turkish-Armenian Agos newspaper in Sisli, central Istanbul, on 19 January 2007. Human rights activists in Turkey and around the world are demanding that the trial go beyond the obvious murder suspects and uncover the involvement of more powerful forces behind the murder. (EÖ/AG)