May 16, 2006 -- A new trial of the editor of an Armenian-Turkish newspaper began today in Istanbul.
Hrant Dink, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin, is accused of "attempting to influence the judiciary" when his newspaper ran articles criticizing a law that makes it a crime to "insults Turkishness."
The law has been used to indict writers and intellectuals, including Dink himself and novelist Orhan Pamuk, for commenting on the mass killings of Armenians by Turks around World War I. Turkey denies claims by Armenians and others that the killings amounted to genocide.
The cases against Pamuk and Dink have raised concerns about freedom of speech in the European Union, which Turkey aspires to join.
Three other writers from the "Agos" newspaper, including Dink's son, also went on trial today.
