Court acquits final suspect in Dink case

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Thousands of people gathered in front of weekly Agos newspaper building on Jan 19, the anniversary of the day journalist Hrant Dink was killed. AA photo

An Istanbul court yesterday ruled to acquit Coşkun İğci, a suspect in the case of murdered Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, following the court’s failure to deliver a verdict about him on Jan. 17 when the trial reached its conclusion.

The court had consequently decided to separate İğci’s file from the rest of the case Feb. 7 and issued a new date to convene a hearing to decide the fate of the sole remaining case suspect who was under trial without arrest.

The defense had requested İğci’s release on Sept. 19, 2011, on the grounds persuasive and conclusive evidence indicating the suspect had participated in Dink’s murder and held membership in a terrorist organization was lacking.

Dink was the chief editor for weekly Agos, a newspaper published in Turkish and Armenian. He was shot in front of his office on Jan. 19, 2007. Triggerman Ogün Samast was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the murder last year.

İğci’s brother-in-law Yasin Hayal was sentenced on Jan. 19 to aggravated life imprisonment, while former police informant and suspect Erhan Tuncel was released, leading to public outcry.