Per article published by Mardin Arena Newspaper on 9th January 2014, Menderes Demir was a married father of three living in the Bağıstan (Bağyaka) village of Mardin’s Savur district. Their village was being pressured by the military to serve as village guards. During one of the raids he was detained and tortured. A week later, during another raid, he was taken into custody and appeared before a judge forty days later. During the hearing, Menderes Demir was released by the judge; however, per testimony of another individual who had been detained and trialed with him Menderes Demir was taken into custody as he was about the exit the courthouse. Several days later, on the road to his village, his dead body was shown by soldiers to people passing by for identification alleging that he had been killed in a shoot-out with the military. The villagers moved from the village shortly after this incident.