INTERNATIONAL WEEK OF STRUGGLE AGAINST DISAPPEARANCES

"There is no legal process regarding lost in custody cases in the 90s and the decrees of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) are not taken into account" told Lawyer Tahir Elçi.

"It's necessary to form an independent commission to investigate the fate of disappeared" told member of the committee against disappearances in custody of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Sebla Arcan.

"There are hundreds of pending files"

"In many decrees of ECHR, it's underlined that there is no right to seek justice in the 90's in Turkey and domestic remedies are not effective"

"The files of the disappeared are waiting at the prosecution offices. The prosecutors should make an effective investigation, evidence collection before these crimes are time-barred. There are hundreds of pending files. ECHR also stated for many times that such crimes should not be time-barred since it's violation to Article No.2 of The European Convention on Human Rights.

"As defendants of human rights, we call prosecutors to deepen their investigations before the crimes are time-barred" told Lawyer Tahir Elçi.

"Accepted but no steps taken"

Sebla Arcan from Human Rights Association (İHD) made a statement to  bianet:

"The former governments ignored the disappeared under custody and they made statements like "The government does not loose people". Justice and Development Party (AKP) accept there are disappeared people under custody however they do not do what's necessary so the crime against humanity becomes something ordinary. It's also a crime not to reveal the crimes against humanity, not to judge the responsible and government keep on committing this crime."

"The current government also has no courage to face with the disappeared people under custody. Although Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told "Your problem is the problem of my council of ministers" there're no steps taken.

"The state is able to find what happened to the disappeared and the perpetrators in a short period of  time when it requests. Our demands are as follows:

* International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance of United Nations should be signed.

* Mass graves should be opened in accordance with the Minnesota Protocol.

* A specially authorized and independent commission should be established in order to investigate the fate of disappeared.

According to violation reports of Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) and Human Rights Association (İHD) 940 people lost in custody in between 1980-2011. (AS)