EUROPEAN COURT RULES TURKEY FAILED TO PROTECT SLAIN WRITER DINK FROM PLOT
By Ben Holland
Bloomberg
Sept 14 2010
Business
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BuzzPrint Europe’s top court ruled that Turkish authorities failed
to protect Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink from a murder plot,
or properly investigate his killing.
Dink was shot dead outside his Istanbul office in January 2007.
Several people linked to extreme nationalist groups were later charged
with the killing in a trial that’s ongoing. Dink had been prosecuted
for insulting Turkish identity by writing about the massacres of
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I, which Turkey
doesn’t recognize as genocide.
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, in a judgment
announced on its website today, said that Turkish authorities had
failed to take any action to protect Dink when they were given
information about the plot against him.
The court also ruled that Turkey didn’t carry out an adequate
investigation into this failure, even though some police officers had
shown signs of sympathy with Dink’s killers. With the exception of
two junior officials, “all the proceedings in which the authorities
were implicated had been discontinued,” the court said.
Turkey also breached its obligations under the European Convention
on Human Rights by failing to protect Dink’s freedom of expression
before he was killed, the court said.
Turkey has prosecuted several writers and intellectuals for comments
about the 1915 killing of Armenians. Many European countries and
members of the U.S. Congress have criticized the country for failing
to acknowledge the events as genocide.
‘Historical Truth’
Dink was writing “in his capacity as a journalist on an issue of public
concern” and as part of a legitimate effort “to seek historical
truth,” the court said. By prosecuting him over the articles,
Turkish authorities had helped to make Dink “a target for extreme
nationalists,” it said.
Turkey was ordered to pay 105,000 euros ($135,000) in compensation to
Dink’s widow, children and brother, who brought the case to court. The
ruling can be appealed within three months at the ECHR’s Grand Chamber.
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From: Katia Peltekian
Subject: European Court Rules Turkey Failed to Protect Slain Writer Dink From Plot
Bloomberg
Sept 14 2010
European Court Rules Turkey Failed to Protect Slain Writer Dink From Plot
By Ben Holland – Sep 14, 2010 8:33 AM ET
Business ExchangeTwitterDeliciousDiggFacebookLinkedInNewsvinePropellerYahoo!
BuzzPrint Europe?s top court ruled that Turkish authorities failed to
protect Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink from a murder plot, or
properly investigate his killing.
Dink was shot dead outside his Istanbul office in January 2007.
Several people linked to extreme nationalist groups were later charged
with the killing in a trial that?s ongoing. Dink had been prosecuted
for insulting Turkish identity by writing about the massacres of
Armenians in the Ottoman Empire during World War I, which Turkey
doesn?t recognize as genocide.
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, in a judgment
announced on its website today, said that Turkish authorities had
failed to take any action to protect Dink when they were given
information about the plot against him.
The court also ruled that Turkey didn?t carry out an adequate
investigation into this failure, even though some police officers had
shown signs of sympathy with Dink?s killers. With the exception of two
junior officials, ?all the proceedings in which the authorities were
implicated had been discontinued,? the court said.
Turkey also breached its obligations under the European Convention on
Human Rights by failing to protect Dink?s freedom of expression before
he was killed, the court said.
Turkey has prosecuted several writers and intellectuals for comments
about the 1915 killing of Armenians. Many European countries and
members of the U.S. Congress have criticized the country for failing
to acknowledge the events as genocide.
?Historical Truth?
Dink was writing ?in his capacity as a journalist on an issue of
public concern? and as part of a legitimate effort ?to seek historical
truth,? the court said. By prosecuting him over the articles, Turkish
authorities had helped to make Dink ?a target for extreme
nationalists,? it said.
Turkey was ordered to pay 105,000 euros ($135,000) in compensation to
Dink?s widow, children and brother, who brought the case to court. The
ruling can be appealed within three months at the ECHR?s Grand
Chamber.
From: A. Papazian