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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Turks in Christian murder trial | Turks in Christian murder trial |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| The trial has started in eastern Turkey of five men accused of killing three Christians earlier this year. | |
| The Christians, who included a pastor and a German missionary, were stabbed repeatedly and had their throats cut. | The Christians, who included a pastor and a German missionary, were stabbed repeatedly and had their throats cut. |
| The suspects, aged 19 and 20, were detained at the scene of the crime, a Protestant publishing house in Malatya. | The suspects, aged 19 and 20, were detained at the scene of the crime, a Protestant publishing house in Malatya. |
| The trial was adjourned after defence lawyers argued they needed more time to prepare. The hearing is now expected to resume in mid-January. | |
| Turkey is a candidate for EU membership. The bloc has asked Ankara to protect the human rights of the country's ethnic and religious minorities, as a precondition for membership. | |
| Germany has accused Turkey of "unacceptable intolerance" towards non-Muslims. | |
| The murders prompted three Christian families to leave Malatya, in eastern Turkey. | |
| The attack came months after the killing of the ethnic Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and a year after the killing of a Catholic priest in northern Turkey. | |
| In all cases, the alleged killers were nationalist-minded young men or even teenagers. | In all cases, the alleged killers were nationalist-minded young men or even teenagers. |
| Turkish nationalists often view missionaries as a threat, especially in remote places like Malatya, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul. | Turkish nationalists often view missionaries as a threat, especially in remote places like Malatya, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Istanbul. |
| Life sentences | Life sentences |
| In Malatya, the defendants reportedly told police they were acting to foil a plot to undermine Islam and divide Turkey. | In Malatya, the defendants reportedly told police they were acting to foil a plot to undermine Islam and divide Turkey. |
| The three victims were found bound by hand and foot | The three victims were found bound by hand and foot |
| The killings were condemned by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. | The killings were condemned by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. |
| The five suspects face three life sentences each, while two others are charged with membership of a terrorist organisation. | The five suspects face three life sentences each, while two others are charged with membership of a terrorist organisation. |
| A lawyer acting for the victims' families earlier said he was concerned by the tone of the indictment against the accused. | |
| More than half the 31 files in the indictment focus on the missionary work of the men murdered. They include contact details of people they approached. | |
| The lawyer believes that will help those accused plead provocation. | The lawyer believes that will help those accused plead provocation. |
| The town's Protestant community now numbers only about two dozen people. | |
| There are only around 100,000 Christians left in Turkey - less than 1% of the population. |