Istanbul’s prosecutors called for stringent penalties in the assassination case of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, requesting double aggravated life sentences for eight public officials on Friday. This follows the Court of Cassation’s partial overturning of previous verdicts, bringing renewed focus to this significant trial held at the 14th High Criminal Court.
Central to the trial is the assassination of Dink, the founding editor of the bilingual Agos weekly, with proceedings implicating various public officials. Defendants Veysel Şahin, Okan Şimşek and Gazi Günay were present in court, while others attended via video link. Şahin expressed his innocence and disconnect from the alleged plot orchestrated by elements within the Turkish security forces, stating, “I don’t know anyone from the police, I’ve never met anyone from the gendarmerie, I haven’t even spoken to anyone on the phone. I am expecting justice from you.”
Highlighting potential discrepancies in accountability, Okan Şimşek shared his frustration about the uneven application of justice, remarking, “The person who assigned me has been acquitted, yet I am being punished. If we are to be punished, don’t even bother with a trial; just kill us and be done with it.”
Following the defences, the prosecutor advocated for the most severe penalties for the crimes of “deliberately killing with premeditation” and “violating the constitution”. Additionally, acquittals were requested for three other suspects due to insufficient evidence.
The court decided to continue the detention of the accused and maintain the judicial controls imposed, scheduling the next hearing for 16 and 17 July to allow the defendants and their lawyers time to prepare their responses to the prosecution’s demands.
Previously, Şahin had confessed to fabricating intelligence reports under the orders of his superior. Şahin disclosed to the court that they had received intelligence regarding the assassination of Hrant Dink six months before the crime occurred but were instructed to document it as if received the day after the murder.
Back in January, Dink was remembered at the Istanbul site where he was assassinated 17 years before, outside the Sebat apartment building where the Agos newspaper was then based.
Speaking at the commemoration, Rakel Dink, the journalist’s wife, said, “17 years later, the murderer who was then 17 years old, is now among you. Just as those who told him to ‘kill’ are amongst you.”
Ogün Samast, who assassinated Dink in a gun attack in front of the Agos office on 19 January 2007, was released from prison in November 2023 under conditional release terms. A minor at the time of the crime, Samast served 16 years and 10 months, sentenced with “premeditated murder” and “possession of an unlicensed firearm”.
