Turkey makes no progress investigating the kidnapping of elderly Christians
International Christian Concern (ICC) has learned that the Turkish authorities have stalled the investigation into the disappearance of elderly Assyrian-Chaldean Christians Hurmüz and Şimuni Diril. They were kidnapped from the Turkish village of Mehr, located near the Iraqi border, one-year prior on the 11th of January 2020.
The absence of the Diril couple was discovered by their son. The Turkish authorities unsuccessfully conducted a search and rescue operation, but winter weather conditions were challenging. However, the search never resumed when the weather cleared.
On the 20th of March, the dismembered body of Şimuni was discovered in a nearby river. The whereabouts of Hurmüz remain unknown.
According to a family representative, the authorities never opened a new search into the whereabouts of Hurmüz. Paperwork regarding the autopsy investigation of Şimuni’s death remains incomplete with large pieces of information missing.
The procedural system associated with the autopsy process has not moved forward. As a result, the family is left with no answers to the reason for the couples’ kidnapping and subsequent loss of life.
Source: persecution.org
