An amendment to be introduced in the Turkish Criminal Code on December 31, 2010 will reduce the term of arrest for the suspects from 1.5 to 3 years.

According to the amendment, Hrant Dink’s assassin Ogun Samast can be released after being kept in custody 3 years and 9 months, Turkish Aksam newspaper said.

In October, an Istanbul court has complied with Samast’s defender Levent Yildrim’s request to try Samast in the juvenile court, guarantying for him an extremely mild punishment – up to 5 years of imprisonment.