Defendants: Arat Dink

Media Outlet and Position: Agos Newspaper – Executive editor, Journalist

Accusations: Spreading terrorist propaganda

Possible sentence: –

Court: İstanbul 36. High Criminal Court

Case Background: 

Arat Dink, the executive editor of Armenian newspaper Agos, faces charges of “spreading terrorist propaganda” for his public support to the “Petition of Academicians for Peace” through which hundreds of academicians in Turkey have been prosecuted for the same charges. Dink is the son of prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink who was murdered in 2007, gunned down on the street by 17-year-old Ogün Samast who told later that Dink was “portrayed in the headlines as if he was a traitor were guilty”

The petition was calling Turkish authorities to stop military operations and clashes with the outlawed PKK in southeastern Turkey between 2015-2016. Academicians across the country signed the petition, saying “we will not be part of this crime” to raise their voice to condemn  violence against civilians in the region during the conflicts. Mass criminal prosecutions followed the petition, handing down one year three months jail sentence to each academician for the terrorist propaganda charges.

Dink has declared his full support to the petition with five others including journalist Ceyda Karan. Public prosecutor has filed prosecution against six. Dink’s hearing will take place on June 20.

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