“Hrant Dink was murdered for the expression of his non-violent opinions, apparently with the tacit agreement of elements within the Turkish law enforcement agencies," said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International.
Twenty suspects accused of planning and carrying out the murder have been brought to trial. In a separate investigation, eight members of the gendarmerie face charges of negligence. However, there has been no progress in investigating and prosecuting police officers for failing to act on warnings that Hrant Dink was being targeted for assassination.
Reporting in July 2008, the Turkish Parliamentary Human Rights Commission found that there was negligence and lack of coordination on the part of the security services in failing to prevent the murder. In addition, leaked details of the Inspectorate of the Prime Ministry’s report into the role of the security forces in the murder of Hrant Dink reportedly revealed that police officers at both the Trabzon and Istanbul Security Directorates failed in their duty to protect Hrant Dink although they had information about the planned murder.
“The authorities should make public the report by the Inspectorate of the Prime Ministry,” Nicola Duckworth said.
“There is now a wealth of evidence upon which the judicial authorities must act. An investigation should be re-opened so that all implicated members of the police forces and gendarmerie are brought to justice.”
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