Before the trial of the public officials starts, Friends of Hrant made a statement to the press. It is stated that “The ones who killed him blatantly, the ones who instigated the murder and the ones who connived at this murder should be called to account, tried and punished regardless of their relations and groups.”
The trial of the public officials started at 10.00 in Istanbul 14th High Penal Court. Making a statement before the trial, Friends of Hrant said, “Until all the accomplices to this murder are revealed and punished as they deserve, we continue to express our demand of justice and we maintain our justice watch.”
Hearing the confessions is not enough
Here is the statement that Yıldız Önen read on behalf of Friends of Hrant: “One month and 5 days ago, we were here for our justice watch. As a result of the joined cases, some of the public officials that we pointed at from the beginning stood trial for the first time. And with the statements of the suspects, we are proved right. Remember what one of the suspects said: 'As the state, we connived at this murder.' And hearing this agonizing confession is not enough for us. The ones who killed him blatantly, the ones who instigated the murder and the ones who connived at this murder should be called to account, tried and punished regardless of their relations and groups. We want what this country, this society needs most in these days: we want justice.”
All accomplices to this murder should be revealed
We refused our demand of justice to be made a victim to an effort “to settle old scores”, as one of the suspects put. Until all the accomplices to this murder are revealed and punished as they deserve, we continue to express our demand of justice and we maintain our justice watch. On behalf of all conscientious people all around the world, we shout with determination and hope: This trial won't end unless we say so..”
All suspects are present at the hearing room
The public officials, including the current Chief of Security General Directorate Intelligence Branch Engin Dinç, former Istanbul Provincial Police Chief Celalettin Cerrah, former Chief of Security General Directorate Intelligence Branch Ramazan Akyürek, former Chief of Istanbul Police Directorate Intelligence Branch Ahmet İlhan Güler, former Trabzon Provincial Police Chief Reşat Altay and former Istanbul Intelligence Branch Chief Sabri Uzun stand trial. The planned duration of the trial is 3 days. Almost all suspects are present at the hearing room.
