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| Turkey: Hrant Dink |
Hrant Dink, editor of the Armenian-Turkish language weekly Agos magazine and a well-known commentator on Armenian affairs, has been convicted to a six-month suspended sentence on charges of "insult to the Turkish state"’ for an article on the Armenian diaspora published in his newspaper. This is just one of a number of cases brought out against him in recent months in an apparent campaign of harassment against him. Some of the trial hearings have been marred by violent scenes inside and outside the courtrooms, instigated by nationalist activists calling for Dink to be punished.
On October 7, 2005, Hrant Dink was convicted to a six-month suspended sentence by the Sisli Court of Second Instance in Istanbul. He had been charged for an article published in Agos in which he discussed the impact on present day Armenian diaspora of the killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by the Ottoman army in 1915-17. Almost a century later, the issue remains a fraught one, with several countries calling on Turkey to recognize the events as a genocide. Turkey rejects this, saying that the deaths occurred during a civil war during which Turks were also killed.
The court accused Dink of “insulting Turkish identity” in articles which, Dink explains, were part of a series that focussed on Armenian identity and were “a special call to the Armenians in Diaspora who are poisoned by their anger towards the Turks.” He says that his aim is to alleviate the tensions between Turkey and Armenia. Dink appealed the conviction but it was upheld upheld on appeal on July 12, 2006. Dink is taking the case to the European Court on Human Rights. The decision led to hundreds of people signing a petition in his defence.
Still underway is another case against Hrant Dink, who is being tried alongside Serkis Seropyan co-editor of Agos and journalist and author Aydin Engin. They were charged on December 23, 2005 under Article 288 of the Penal Code (attempt to influence the Judiciary) for an article commenting on Hrant Dink’s October 2005 trial. Dink is accused for an article entitled “Is Democracy to be established with this penal code?” and Engin for his article “One should touch the justice system”. A hearing before the Sisli Penal Court on May 16, 2006 was disrupted by lawyers supporting the prosecution who heckled journalists and other observers. Some reportedly spat on the defendants. Spectators inside the courtroom shouted and threw coins at the defendant’s lawyers after the prosecuting lawyers called for the withdrawal of the judge. Journalists and lawyers were prevented from leaving the court room and required police protection on leaving, describing the events as being an attempted lynching. A hearing on July 4, 2006 saw right wing protests again demonstrating outside the court room. Defence lawyer Deniz Ceylan was punched by one of them and the hearing was disrupted by verbal abuse. The hearing was adjourned to December 12, 2006.
Yet another court case was initiated against Hrant Dink in September 2006 on charges of “insulting Turkish identity” in an interview he gave to the Reuters newsagency on July 14. He is said to have told interviewers Daren Butler and Osman Senkul that he had no doubt that an Armenian genocide had taken place, that he would not remain silent on this issue, and had no plans to leave Turkey.
Dink, 50, is the editor of Agos, an Armenian-Turkish language weekly, established in 1996, with a circulation of around 6,000. Agos means "ploughed furrow," and was chosen by its founders for its association with growth and fertility. In 2001, Agos was suspended. He is a well-known commentator on Turkish-Armenian affairs who is often invited abroad to speak on how relations can be improved.
Sample appeal
[Date]
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan
TC Easbakanlik
Ankara, Turkey
Fax: 011 90 312 417 0476
Foreign Minister and State Minister for Human Rights
Mr Abdullah Gül
Office of the Prime Minister
Basbakanlik
06573 Ankara Turkey
Fax: 011 90 312 287 8811
Your Excellencies,
I am writing to express my concern over the ongoing charges against Hrant Dink, editor of the Armenian-Turkish language weekly Agos magazine and a well-known commentator on Armenian affairs. I understand that he has been convicted to a six-month suspended sentence on charges of "insult to the Turkish state" for an article on the Armenian diaspora published in his newspaper. This is just one of a number of cases brought against him in recent months.
I am concerned that Hrant Dink is among the many writers, journalists and publishers who continue to be brought before the Turkish Courts under Penal Code Article 301 in violation of their right to freedom of expression. I therefore respectfully ask that all charges against him be dropped and that your Excellencies conduct a full review of Turkish legislation with the aim of removing any remaining laws that can lead to the imprisonment of literary professionals solely for the practice of their right to freedom of expression.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Your name and signature]
Cc: H.E. Nabi Şensoy
The Embassy of the Republic of Turkey
2525 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
Fax: (202) 612-6744
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