Naif Demir
person- Image
- Sex
- Male
- Civil status
- Married
- Occupation
- Village guard
- Dependants
- 9
- Event description
Per İHD’s statement to the press during their demonstration on 5th October 2013 and Yüksekova Haber’s 20 April 2009-dated article, Naif Demir’s family members were serving as village guards in their native Kayalık village of Çukurca, Hakkari; Naif Demir further strengthened these ties with the military by becoming business partners with the Çukurca Company Commander. However, the two men had a falling-out over the Commander’s refusal to pay Naif Demir his share of the earnings. On the evening of 6th March 1995, Naif was taken into custody. His brother and wife searched for him by applying to authorities, including the Ministry of Justice, to no avail.
In 1996, with the highly publicized claims of an ex-PKK militant-turned-JİTEM member, Kahraman Bilgiç, regarding a group of high-rank military and civilian figures engaging in drug and arms trade as well as murder and other illegal activities, the Chief Public Prosecutor of the State Security Court launched an investigation for the so-called “Yüksekova Gang”, which mentioned but did not seek to prosecute the murder of Naif Demir.
The outcome of the case on Naif Demir’s death remains unknown sine its transfer to military court in 1997. The family also applied to the European Court of Human Rights, but to no avail.
- Geolocation
Latitude: 37.2937089
Longitude: 43.6711887
- Geolocation
- City
- Hakkari
- District
- Çukurca
- Date of disappearance
- Mar 6, 1995
- Year of disappearance
- 1995
- Age at the time of disappearance
- HAH/act/517
- Status of the victim
- Still missing
- Type of source material
- Press release or report of human rights organisations
- Printed or online news
- Victim statement to prosecutor
- Decision by the prosecution office
- Unknown
- Summary of the legal proceedings
Per İHD’s statement to the press during its demonstration on 5th October 2013 and Yüksekova Haber’s 20 April 2009-dated article, the defendants in the so-called “Yüksekova Gang”, received prison sentences ranging from 30 to 4 years, while the Mayor and the highest ranking military figure, a Colonel, who were also being trialed were acquitted. As the case was appealed before the Court of Appeal twice, all the defendants were eventually acquitted with Kahraman Bilgiç, ex-PKK militant-turned JİTEM member whose confessions had initiated the case, being the only one to receive a sentence.
The outcome of the case on Naif Demir’s death remains unknown sine its transfer to military court in 1997. The family also applied to the European Court of Human Rights, but to no avail.