Lawyers: Dink murder was committed with support of security units

PanARMENIAN.Net - The accused murderers of Hrant Dink, the editor of Agos Turkish-Armenian newspaper, will appear before the court for the fifth time 15 months after the murder. On 28 April hearing (Monday), the remaining questionings are expected to be completed.



The Istanbul 14th Criminal Court, which tries the 19 defendants, eight of whom are arrested, had demanded at the previous hearing that the physical surveillance reports and telephone records concerning the arrested defendants Yasin Hayal and Mustafa Ozturk. It is established now that Yasin Hayal was under the surveillance of the Trabzon Police Department, a major province in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey, BIA NEWS SERVICE reports.



Dink family lawyers say that the killing of the journalist on January 19, 2007 is not "a murder planned together by a few young men and executed in spite of the authorities; they claim that the local security units supported this group."



Hrant Dink was gunned down at his newspaper premises in Istanbul by nationalist Ogun Samast on January 19, 2007.