Next Dink hearing scheduled for Oct. 23
The next hearing in the murder case of Turkish-Armenian journalist, Agos editor Hrant Dink will take place at the Istanbul Criminal Court on October 13, Today's Zaman reports.
The trial so far has revealed dubious connections between the suspects and the police. Dink family lawyers have frequently brought allegations that police attempted to obscure evidence. Two gendarmerie officers are currently standing trial for having ignored tip-offs about the plot to kill Dink, who was shot dead outside his Agos newspaper in Istanbul in January 2007. Police arrested the suspected gunman, Ogun Samast, and his alleged associate, Yasin Hayal, within days.
Samast, 17 years old at the time, was charged with murdering Dink and with membership in a criminal group. The first five hearings were closed to the media because suspect Samast was a minor at the time - a situation that changed in the sixth hearing in June of this year. There are a total of 20 suspects in the case, eight of them currently under arrest.
The trial so far has revealed dubious connections between the suspects and the police. Dink family lawyers have frequently brought allegations that police attempted to obscure evidence. Two gendarmerie officers are currently standing trial for having ignored tip-offs about the plot to kill Dink, who was shot dead outside his Agos newspaper in Istanbul in January 2007. Police arrested the suspected gunman, Ogun Samast, and his alleged associate, Yasin Hayal, within days.
Samast, 17 years old at the time, was charged with murdering Dink and with membership in a criminal group. The first five hearings were closed to the media because suspect Samast was a minor at the time - a situation that changed in the sixth hearing in June of this year. There are a total of 20 suspects in the case, eight of them currently under arrest.
