Six Months’ Imprisonment for Colonel Ã-z and Captain Yıldız

BIAnet.org, Turkey
June 3 2011

Six Months’ Imprisonment for Colonel Ã-z and Captain Yıldız

Colonel Ali Ã-z and Captain Metin Yıldız were sentenced to six months
in jail on charges of negligence of duty prior to the murder of
Turkish-Armenian journalist Dink. Another four defendants received
prison terms of four months each, two defendants were acquitted.

Trabzon – BÄ°A News Center03 June 2011, Friday Provincial Gendarmerie
Commander Colonel Ali Ã-z and Captain Metin Yıldız were sentenced to
imprisonment of six months each in the context of the murder of
Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink in 2007. The 2nd Magistrate
Criminal Court of Trabzon (eastern Black Sea coast) found both
defendants guilty of negligence of duty. The court held that they
failed to take the necessary precautions prior the murder.

Prison terms of four months each were handed down by the Trabzon court
to Expert Gendarmerie Senior Sergeant Veysel Å?ahin, Gendarmerie
Sergeant Major Okan Å?imÅ?ek and gendarmerie officers Hüseyin Yılmaz and
Hacı Ã-mer Ã`naldı. Another two defendants tried in the scope of the
same case tried on 2 June were acquitted.

The court decreed not to suspend the sentence and not to postpone the
pronouncement of judgement. This procedure means that the convicts
will have to serve two thirds of their sentences once the decision
will have been approved by the superior court.

Lawyer Cem Halavurt, joint attorney of the family of slain journalist
Dink, made a statement to bianet after the hearing. He criticized, “We
said it was intent but they were prosecuted on charges of negligence.
The sentences are at the upper limit of what a magistrate court is
entitled to decide. If only had they been prosecuted at a high
criminal court. Still, we appreciate the decision because it proves
that public officials did have a responsibility in the murder of Hrant
Dink”. (HK/VK)

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress