Samast confesses scouting venue before killing DinkMay 26, 2011 - 15:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Ogün Samast, the confessed triggerman in the assassination of Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, claimed during court testimony that he scouted the surroundings of the crime venue some hours before committing the crime. Samast said he could not deny the fact that he had scouted the area of the crime scene after being asked by Judge İsmet Gülbiçim. “Do I have to lie? I say whatever I have seen and remembered. I went there two or three hours before [committing] the crime, that is why I remembered,” Samast said. Samast, who blamed the media for the assassination, confessed to shooting Dink in the back of the head outside the Istanbul offices of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, of which Dink was the editor-in-chief. On the day of the crime, Samast had first been told Dink was not available as he was attending a meeting. Samast then went to an Internet cafe, where he exchanged messages relaying the information. Shortly after Dink exited the meeting, Samast headed to the newspaper’s offices. Gülbiçim asked him whether it was a coincidence that the Internet Cafe’s owner, Cavit Kılıç, headed to the paper’s offices at the same time to submit an advertisement. “It was a coincidence. You could also look at the security camera recordings. The State Security Court, or DMG, could not find anything related after four years, do you think the juvenile court will find anything?” Samast said, Hurriyet Daily News reported. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |