CoE Commissioner shocked by Dink case verdict

PanARMENIAN.Net - Council of Europe (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammarberg stated in Istanbul on Friday, Jan 20, that he was “shocked” by the court’s decision to acquit all 19 suspects of membership in a terrorist organization in the 2007 murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. Only one suspect received a life sentence, Today's Zaman reported.

Hammarberg, during a discussion on the newly released Turkish translation of his “Human Rights in Europe” report, echoed the surprise of the Turkish public in the wake of Tuesday’s verdict. “I was very surprised by the court’s ruling on Tuesday. I was even more surprised to hear the prosecutor and judge in the case were also dissatisfied with the outcome,” the commissioner said.

The Dink case’s presiding judge, Rüstem Eryılmaz, told the Vatan daily on Thursday that, while he personally cannot deny the murder was well-organized, the evidence submitted to the court was not sufficient to issue such a ruling.

“Then why did they close the case? I am surprised a judge could say this and close the case. He [Eryılmaz] could have won more time by asking for clarification,” Hammarberg said.

In his report on human rights shortcomings across Europe, Hammarberg mentions Dink along with other journalists who were murdered in Europe for simply doing their jobs. According to the report, which was published before this week’s verdict, “No effort must be spared in apprehending and bringing to justice not only the actual killers, but also those who ordered these murders.”