26.07.2011 Daily Human Rights Report
(07/087) The case on the murder of Hrant Dink…
A juvenile court in Istanbul handed down a jail term on 25 July of nearly 23 years to the self-confessed murderer of prominent Armenian journalist, the editor-in-chief of weekly Agos, Hrant Dink, who was gunned down in broad daylight on 19 January 2007.
The juvenile court initially condemned Ogün Samast to life, but reduced the sentence to 21-and-a-half years on the grounds that he was underage at the time of the murder before giving him an additional 16 months for possession of an unlicensed weapon.
In the hearing, Samast defended himself by saying he had a poor education and committed the murder under other people’s influences. “I was influenced by newspapers and some columnists. Otherwise how would I know Hrant Dink, how would I know Agos?” Samast said.
Under the Turkish Penal Code, Samast will likely not serve the 22 years and 10 months to which he was sentenced. Legal experts said he might be able leave prison after between 10 and 12 years. “His sentence will be decreased if he shows good behaviour in prison,” Ali Ersin Gür, former president of Contemporary Lawyers Association, or ÇHD: “In that case he will have to stay in jail for three-fourths of the murder sentence, which is about 16.5 years. Considering that he has already been in jail for the past 4.5 years, he might be out of prison by 2023,” Gür told. (Hürriyet Daily News, 25 July)
(07/088) Extra-judicial killing in Silopi District…
Doğan Teyboğa (13) who was wounded from his head with the hit of the gas bomb shell used in the intervention of the police officers to the protest in Silopi District of Şırnak Province on 24 July 2011, died in Diyarbakır State Hospital on 25 July 2011 (Evrensel, 26 July).
(07/089) Operations and clashes in South-east…
Four soldiers and three civilians were wounded in the attack on the army unit returning from a search mission for cannabis in the rural part of Gömeç Village of Hani District of Diyarbakır Province (ntvmsnbc.com, 25 July).
(07/090) Tried person…
On 25 July 2011 Yüksekova Penal Court of Peace went on hearing the case against Ruken Yetişkin, former Mayor of Yüksekova, in connection with her statement in the campaign for planting trees organised by the Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDPPeace and Democracy Party ) Assembly of Women in Yüksekova District of Hakkâri Province on 1 April 2010 on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of Fighting with Terrorism Law.
The court accepted the request of the defendant to make her legal argument in Kurdish and a translator translated the argument into Turkish. The court adjourned the hearing to 26 December 2011 (bianet.org, 25 July).
(07/091) Person detained in connection with the incidents in Hopa …
On 25 July 2011 Osman Lokumcu, Hopa Representative of the Education and Science Workers Trade Union (Egitim-Sen), Mete Cihan and Yasin Öztürk, a member of Borçka Halkevi (People’s House Association) were detained in connection with the Hopa Incidents in which the PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was protested before his election meeting and in which Metin Lokumcu was killed with the gas the police used in Hopa District of Artvin Province on 31 May 2011 (kizilbayrak.net, 25 July).
(07/092) Detentions and arrests…
Five out of the seven detainees who had been detained in home raids in Kızıltepe District of Mardin Province on 25 July 2011 were arrested on charges of “making propaganda of an illegal organisation” (ANF, 25 July).
