Turkey failed to protect the life of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. Dink who was killed by an ultra-nationalist in 2007.

The court said on Tuesday that Turkish authorities knew ultra-nationalists were plotting to kill the editor of Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, but failed to act.

Turkey must pay 105,000 euros to Dink’s wife and children, 5,000 euros to his brother and 28,595 euros to the three of them for costs and expenses.

The court also ruled that Turkey violated Dink’s freedom of expression. The journalist had filed a case with the European Court of Human Rights himself after he received a six-month suspended prison sentence in Turkey for “denigrating Turkish identity”.

Easy target
In 2003 and 2004, Dink published a series of articles on Turkish citizens of Armenian origin and their struggle to be recognized as genocide victims after Turkey’s mass killing of Armenians during World War I, in which an estimated 1 million Armenians died.
The human rights court ruled that Dink’s conviction in Turkey shortly before his death had made him a target for extreme nationalists.

Turkey’s foreign ministry has said it will not appeal the court’s decision. One main suspect in Dink’s murder and 17 others are currently on trial.