OSCE Representative asked Ankara to drop charges against the author of a book on the murder of Hrant DinkJune 20, 2009 - 18:29 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, asked Turkish authorities today to drop charges against journalist Nedim Sener for his investigative book on the murder of fellow journalist Hrant Dink, and called for urgent reform of laws that restrict freedom of expression. "Sener is prosecuted in defiance of freedoms that both OSCE commitments and Council of Europe standards grant to critical publications," wrote Haraszti in a letter to Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. "What he did was critically assess the events leading up to Hrant Dink's murder, and the deficiencies afterwards in the handling of the case and in the prosecution of the perpetrators." "Justice must not be degraded into an act of revenge by the criticized authorities," said Haraszti. Sener, a journalist for newspaper Milliyet, faces up to 28 years of imprisonment for writing a book, entitled The Dink Murder and Intelligence Lies. The book alleges that security forces failed to stop the murder of the well-known Turkish-Armenian writer in 2007, and cites alleged incidents of negligence by gendarmerie, police and national intelligence officers working on the case."Media freedom commitments may be complied with only if fact-finding journalism receives the full backing of the law, and inaccuracies, if any have occurred, are not criminalized," wrote Haraszti in the letter. "Legal provisions in Turkey could be misused to curb freedom of expression and information," he added. "The Criminal Code, the Press Law, the Anti-Terrorism Law, and the recent Law No. 5651 on Internet regulation all need to be modernized so that they cannot be used to restrict speech rights." "By dropping the charges against Sener, Turkey could now stop punishing the messengers of unwelcome news, and instead carry out much-needed legal reform to ensure freedom of expression," Miklos Haraszti said. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. 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". Partner news | Your home is in Armenia – Ameriabank offers mortgage loans for the Diaspora To buy real estate, Diasporans can apply to Ameriabank online to buy, renovate or build a home anywhere in Armenia. Armenia-Qatar ties discussed in Doha The Secretary of Armenia’s Security Council met with the Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council of Qatar. ARARAT special evening dedicated to Aznavour's 100th Anniv. On May 20 ARARAT legendary Armenian brandy, celebrated the centennial of Maestro Charles Aznavour with a special event. Surveying works underway in Armenia’s Kirants Surveying works are underway in the Armenian village of Kirants in the northern Tavush province. |