Gülen-linked police chiefs to appear in court over Hrant Dink's murderApril 18, 2016 - 17:42 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Following a court's approval to merge two cases, former police chiefs linked to the Gülen Movement will stand side-by-side with the murder convicts of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink for the first time. The police chiefs are accused of negligence and orchestrating a cover-up before and after the 2007 murder, which sparked public outrage, Daily Sabah reports. Dink, the late editor-in-chief of Agos daily, was shot dead in front of his office in Istanbul by Ogün Samast, a 17-year-old teenager who claimed he shot Dink for his anti-Turkish views. The murder, initially considered to be committed by far-right nationalists, later turned out to be a larger plot, and several police intelligence officers were arrested for deliberately covering up intelligence on the murder plot. Moreover, several police chiefs indicted in the case are accused of links to the Gülen Movement. The suspects will appear before an Istanbul court Tuesday, April 19, in the case mired with allegations of corruption after former prosecutors looking into the case claimed to cover the tracks of the Gülen-linked officers' role in the murder. The hearings will continue for three days. The court had earlier accepted the indictment of 26 suspects in the Dink case. Top stories The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. London’s Armenian community has been left feeling “under attack” after the city’s Genocide monument was vandalised. The United States believes there should be an international mission to provide transparency. Partner news | Armenia: Opposition activist transferred to Investigative Committee Activist Samvel Vardanyan has been accused of insulting the lawmaker Hakob Aslanyan from the ruling Civil Contract party. Russia confirms start of withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh The Kremlin has confirmed reports about the start of the withdrawal of Russian peacekeeping forces in Karabakh. France recalls its ambassador to Azerbaijan France on April 16 said it had recalled for consultations the French ambassador to Azerbaijan. Protesters rally as Georgia debates 'foreign agent' bill Georgian critics label the bill "the Russian law", comparing it to legislation used by the Kremlin to crack down on dissent. |