Hearings on Dink murder to be held in secrecy

PanARMENIAN.Net - Hearings on the murder of Turkish Armenian editor Hrant Dink will start July 2, 2007.



The court sessions will be held behind closed doors. Publication of any information is barred.



Journalists will be deprived of the possibility to cover the hearings. They will not be furnished any information either, Marmara newspaper reports.



Hrant Dink, the editor of the Turkish-Armenian "Agos" weekly newspaper, was gunned down outside his office in Istanbul on January 19 by 17-year-old Ogun Samast, who is a member of a nationalistic group.



Erhan Tuncel and Yasin Hayal have been accused of preparing the murderous assault. The Istanbul prosecutor is seeking life imprisonment for both Tuncel and Hayal, who also face charges of being a senior member of an armed terrorist group. Since Ogun Samast has not reached the age of 18, he could face up to 24 years behind bars for Dink's murder. The indictment tabled by the prosecutor also called for various terms of imprisonment for Mustafa Ozturk, Tuncay Uzundal, Zeynel Abidin Yavuz, Ahmet Iskender, Ersin Yolcu, Yasar Cihan, Halis Egemen, Salih Hacisalihoglu, Alper Esirgemez, Irfan Ozkan, Osman Alpay, Erbil Susaman, Numan Sisman, Senol Akduman and Veysel Toprak on charges of aiding and abetting in the killing of Dink.